Tumult
by AeonXBorealis
Summary: Sequel to Captivated-Heather's ex-boyfriend Ryan returns to town, thinking he can recapture Heather's heart. He's willing and ready to compete with Alejandro for Heather's heart. But he's not the only one vying for it...
1. Chapter 1

{1}

-Heather-

Practically _everybody _is at Sandra's house tonight since her parents are out of town. Her house is full of total losers and popular kids alike; she doesn't discriminate. The radio's full blast, some people are dancing, others are outside smoking cigs, some are in the basement and I have a feeling that some couple is taking up occupancy in Sandra's parent's room.

Both Beth and Lindsay are off somewhere with their boyfriends. And I'm here..._alone_. Alejandro was busy tonight. Again. If he's not working a shift at his delivery boy job, it's babysitting his little brat sister Pilar.

Valentine's Day is less than a month away, but I have a sinking feeling he'll be-wait for it-_busy_! Damn it. I haven't had a moment alone with him since Sunday. It's been an entire freaking week and it's felt like an eternity. God.

While Beth and Lindsay are off having fun, I'm upstairs moping around. It just makes me feel even worse when I hear the couple in the bedroom laughing and moaning. Part of me wishes it was me and Al in there. Yeah, I'm missing him pretty majorly if I'm even thinking about making out or anything with him in public where somebody could walk in on us...

Groaning, I shuffle away down the hall and that's when I heard an extremely bizarre moan. There's several more moans, a groan, some unidentifiable noise, and then...silence. Just as I'm wondering if the sounds have stopped, they start up again and I walk towards the noise to investigate, figuring out that it's coming from Sandra's room.

When I peer inside, there's a figure curled up in the Feedle position on the floor. I'm so bored, my curiosity gets the better of me and I flick on the lights.

Of all the people it _could_ be, it's Harold the nerd. The walking encyclopedia of useless trivia facts and the one white boy I know that can rap.

His red hair is messed up and he's not wearing a shirt. The longer I stand there and watch, the louder his sounds get. The situation is getting awkward and I'm just about to leave, but that's when Harold sits up and then pukes his guts out all over the floor. Like a volcano, he keeps going, keeling over and it's almost an entire minute before he stops. It's so disgusting, yet I just can't look away.

Groaning, he looks as white as a sheet when he slumps against the edge of Sandra's bed.

Next to him is a huge pile of green, gloppy puke...It makes _me _want to puke. Cringing, I look away and my first impulse is to run away-

"Heather...is that you?" he called out weakly.

Biting my lip, I turn and look at him, furrowing my brows. He looks so limp and sickly, more sickly than usual. Not sure what compels me, I wander over, crawl across Sandra's bedspread to avoid the puddle of puke, and then step off when I'm near Harold.

"Yeah...it's me."

Harold looks up at me and smiles weakly, trying in vain to look strong. Then he just frowns and I'm not sure what to do as he sits there and tears start falling down his face from beneath his glasses. Desperately, he looks up at me and the deep sadness in his eyes...it just gets me.

"I don't know why I did it..." he croaked, shaking his head. "I don't know why...I cheated on my sweet LaShawna. I'm gonna lose both my best friend _and _my girlfriend if they find out what happened. It's just...I don't know what was going through my mind!"

I reach out and help Harold get to his feet and then help him sit up on the bed. He's still crying and that's when I hear a _clink_. There's a beer bottle on the floor...

"Kate's here..." he hiccuped. "We were just sitting in a couple of lawn chairs out back. She looked like she was upset and she mentioned that Arnold was spending more time with a foreign exchange student than her. And then after that, we started kissing and even though nobody saw us...I ran off. I ran up here and then I...I..."

Harold cut off after that, burying his head in his hands. I felt like one of those bartender guys, listening to the clients complain about how crappy their lives are. But, even though I don't really know Harold, I couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy. He's the last person on the planet that I'd expect to see something like this happen to.

For several minutes, Harold continues to sit there and sob silently. Helpless, I pat his back and just stay put. "It'll be okay," I tell him over and over again.

He looks up at me, doubt in his eyes. "Kate made the first move, Heather, and I didn't stop her...I...don't know why I..."

"You guys are good friends, right?" I really don't want to play therapist right now. "You'll find a way to figure things out..."

"You...you really think so?" Harold asks, hope in his eyes.

Now I'm just frustrated. I just can't do heart-to-hearts. "Why are you telling _me_?" I fume at him.

I'm not drunk. I'm not Kate or LaShawna or his best friend. It's not my freaking problem. So...why am I here trying to comfort Harold? It doesn't make any sense. Then I turn and look at him and he looks at me, his green eyes almost as serious and somber as they could be when he's actually sober.

"Remember ninth grade?" he asked.

"What about it?" Great, I'm playing his stupid game by responding to his question.

"We were biology partners," Harold reminisced. "We had a partner project where we had to make a model of the internal organs of a frog...You came over to work on it and some guy named Tony had broken up with you. You tried to deny that you were upset and insisted that you were 'over' him, but I knew differently. After that, you told me that Tony had really hurt you. And then I cheered you up. We kinda had a moment..."

"I know you're a good person, Heather," Harold said with a small smile. "Not the person that the world sees."

There's clear tear streaks on his face and he looks like a mess. He continues to smile and look at me insistently. Instead, I look away from him and look all over and anywhere else in the room other than his face, because I'm not quite sure how to respond to what he just said. What I really don't get is how he went from blabbering about his own love life problems to an obscure event that happened freshman year that I...really wanted to forget about.

"I promised you I wouldn't tell anybody and I won't," Harold said, as if reading my mind.

Reluctantly, I turn back to look at him and he's still smiling. Now he's really beginning to creep me out. He's creepier drunk than he is sober. Seriously. And I could barely tolerate the guy before. Looking back on it, I can't believe I actually tried to convince my Spanish teacher last year to let _Harold_ tutor me over Al.

"Harold...?" LaShawna appears out in the hallway, looking around.

Like a little kid, Harold scrambles behind me and places his grimy hands on my shoulders. "_Hide_ me," he begs.

Disgusted, I bat his hands away and then call out to LaShawna: "Hey! He's in here!"

LaShawna turns and her eyes widen as she enters. First she looks at the puke puddle, then at Harold as he scrambles to the head of the bed like a caged puma. More concerned than angry, LaShawna walks towards him and extends her hand. For a second, Harold resists, then he ambles towards her, starting to tear up and cry again.

That guy really can't handle his alcohol.

"Hey Heather, could you help me get Harold to my car?"

I take a quick look at the two of them and I can feel the "no" on the tip of my tongue. Then my brain interferes and, for some reason, I remember that late night last year when Kate appeared out of nowhere and tried to tell me about how Jose was meddling in the election. Then I remember that same girl coming up to me and Alejandro as soon as she was back from the hospital, apologizing for her involvement in Courtney's schemes and telling us that she'd be happy to listen to whatever problems we had with the school.

It had been Harold standing next to her when she did that. And then it had been Harold that'd made some of the biggest efforts to get our prom in New York City last year even though he'd failed. Harold that secretly told me he'd voted for _me_ as prom queen over Courtney or Elaine...

"Sure."

I'm not sure what compelled me to do it, but I helped LaShawna cart Harold down the hall, out the front door, and past a long line of cars to where her purple PT Cruiser was parked. I even supported Harold while she unlocked the doors of her car. As soon as LaShawna had Harold sitting in the shotgun seat, she turned towards me and smiled. We'd been silent the entire way here; Sandra's house, full of the throbbing rhythm of the stereo and the sounds of people talking, sounded far away.

"Thanks Heather," LaShawna said simply. "See ya at school on Monday."

I waved as she climbed into her car and then I watched as she drove away, watched until her car turned left down another street and wasn't visible anymore.

As I stood there, I looked up at the sky, the stars, the full moon. It suddenly occurred to me that LaShawna hadn't even asked what was going on with Harold or why _I _was the one in the bedroom with him. No fingers of blame. No drama. Her first reaction was just to get her drunk boyfriend home and clean up the situation.

Looking down the street at the sign at the end, I watched the cars zip by. Whooshing sounds and bright lights.

I've known LaShawna since fifth grade and from the very first moment we ever met, neither one of us really liked each other. Everybody knows that we hate each other's guts, that we're rivals. Yet there's weird times like this when we help each other out when nobody else would. We know things about each other that nobody else does.

For a brief moment, I wonder if we'd be friends in "an alternate universe" as a sci-fi nerd would put it...

I looked back towards Sandra's house, wondering if I should go back to the party...Probably nobody was looking for me anyway. If I left right now, nobody would even notice. Turning away, I looked all around me, at the long line of cars, listened to the loud and cheerful sounds coming from Sandra's house. Feeling my heart beating steadily in my chest, I looked around, vaguely hoping that Lindsay or Beth would come out of nowhere and start running down the sidewalk, calling my name.

Then I pulled my cell phone out of my jeans pocket, checked for any missed calls, any new text messages. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The empty screen pushed the full extent of my situation down on me. It made my insides twist, made me feel cold and hollow. It felt like the darkness of the night was falling down on me like a lead weight. I could feel the desperation, the tears prickling at the back of my eyes...

A tear almost escaped, but I reached up and swiped it away, forcing myself to keep my composure. I'm strong; I _don't_ cry.

That's when my cell phone started ringing and I fished it out of my pocket. The caller ID had a number I knew by heart.

"Hi Alejandro..."

"It's not Alejandro," said the voice on the other end. "It's his mother. I just found his cell phone here and...you're the first number on his speed dial. If he's with you, could you tell him to come home...?"

"Um...he's not with me, Mrs. Burromuerto." It was so painful to say those words and I don't know why.

"If it's not too much trouble, could you find him?" she asked, her voice concerned. "He didn't really specify where he was going."

I roll my eyes. Overprotective parent, much?

"I'll try to find him..."

"Thank you so much, Heather," she replies, sounding relieved. "Feel free to come over, too, okay? I have cookies..."

"Will do."

I hang up the phone before she can say anything else. Mrs. Burromuerto's like the second mom I never had or wanted; she's stricter than my own mom. And twice as mushy. Every time I've come over to Al's house, she tries to pinch my cheeks and tell me how cute a couple Al and I are. It drives me nuts. She's like, a mom and grandma rolled into one. A turbo mama.

Sometimes I really don't know how Alejandro puts up with her...

What's got me is that he doesn't have his cell phone with him. Alejandro takes his cell phone with him _everywhere_ just _because _Turbo Mama told him to, except when he doesn't want her-

Oh, shit. I know exactly where he is.

Out of habit, I reach in my pocket and shoot off a text message to Linds and Beth as I search for my car. My new silver convertible's parked between two ugly-ass probably pre-owned cars. Thank God my parents are rich or else _I'd_ have to drive a car like that.

It feels so good to slide in behind the wheel and wrap my fingers around it. I had to wait _so long _to get my driver's license.

Going at least two or three miles above the speed limit, I make it home in under twenty minutes or so, park my car right behind my parents' cheesy and matching purple cars. Ever since they got those, I've never really understood why they like to be matchy, one of those couples that has everything _match. _It's so...tacky.

Quickly, I jog across the front yard and as soon as I hit the back yard-just like I suspected. Alejandro's sitting on the grass with his arms wrapped around the shaft of a guitar, looking up longingly at my bedroom window. He can be so freaking adorable when he's not actively trying to look "sexy" or "handsome." Yeah...he's attractive if he's trying, but, oh screw it, he's good-looking no matter what he does.

It's been an entire week since I've seen him now and, as usual, he knows exactly how to tug at my heart strings. I can feel my heart beating faster and I want to run up to him and nuzzle him, cuddle him, kiss him, hug him...He makes me act so unlike myself.

_Ooh.._I can barely stand it as I try to stealthily creep across the yard towards him.

That's when he stands up, lays the guitar aside and looks directly at me. Cover's been blown. Before I can take another step, he covers the distance between us in two giant strides. He leans in, pressing the tip of his nose to mine and hypnotizing me with those entrancing green eyes.

"I've been looking for you," he said, wrapping his arms around me. "I...wanted to make up for not seeing you all week. I'd never want to avoid seeing you. Oh, Heather...I missed you so much..."

How does he always know the right thing to say? After what I've been through tonight, that's exactly what I was wanting to hear. It just makes me that much happier that he's here. I reach up and grab one of his hands, squeezing it and smiling at him.

"I missed you, too," I whisper back, feeling like we're even closer to each other now even though we're already as close to each other as we can get.

I don't really want to talk anymore. I'm happy, but I feel drained. The situation with Harold and LaShawna keeps running through my mind like a video on replay and my brain won't stop thinking for some reason.

Frustrated, I leap up at Al, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him. Barely a full minute into it, he pulls his trademark move: sticking his tongue in my mouth. That's his signal that he wants more than just a peck on the lips. Yeah, I need some of that right now. Me tackling him to the ground and wrapping my fingers through his hair is my green light to him tonight.

For the next fifteen minutes, we end up rolling around on my back lawn...making out. My cell phone rings in my back pocket, but I just ignore it. I want Alejandro so badly right now. Nothing else. No distractions. No more drama. After awhile, Alejandro pulls me away and glares, gritting his teeth as my stupid freaking cell phone rings for the thousandth time in my pocket.

"Answer the damn cell phone, Heather!" Alejandro groans.

"Okay, okay." I get up and fish it out my pocket, answer it.

"Hello? What the hell do you want?"

"Heather!" a familiar voice replied. "What the hell's up with _you_?"

"R...Ryan?"

"Duh, it's me," he replied. "I'm coming over _right now_! I can't wait to see you!"

"I can't wait to see you either..." I can hear the unsteady tone in my voice.

"See ya, kiddo."

He just hung up, not even waiting for me to say good-bye.

"Who was that?" I turn and see Alejandro, his arms folded, staring down at me.

"Just an old friend of mine..." I reply meekly.

Alejandro raises an eyebrow looking skeptic. And unconvinced. We stand there staring at each other for a long minute, Alejandro's eyes grilling me like a pair of a laser beams. Each passing second gets more and more awkward; I can feel my knees buckling. I'm not sure what to say here...

"HEATHER!"

I spin around and there's Ryan, speeding at me like a freight train. A second later, he's kissing me like there's no tomorrow. Once he pulls away, we both hear a snort and turn to look at Alejandro.

He looks _insanely_ pissed off...

-()-

Chris was slumped across the white sofa, the top buttons of his shirt undone and several empty glasses of tequila sprawled out across the top of his wooden end table. Sullenly, he stared at the TV screen, mindlessly watching whatever stupid reality show was on the air. Lately, he was becoming _way _too familiar with the TV line-up after midnight.

All over his walls he had posters of famous reality TV personalities and his desk was strewn with gossip magazines. For the past five years, he'd been stuck in this stupid little town as the principal of Cress High School. He'd been so miserable, but his misery had deepened even more last year as soon as that witch _Blainely _showed up. She had her eyes set on his job and...she was going to get it, too...

What he really wanted was to be famous, a world-renowned TV star, but instead he was a washed out leftover from a teen boy band that'd broken up years and years ago. He'd ended up going into getting a degree in education for Mummy Dearest, since she'd convinced him that his chances of becoming famous were slim to none, and then moving to the U.S. and picking up this crummy job.

As he sat there stewing in his own muck, Blainely came out of the bathroom, walked around the couch and then collapsed into his lap, wearing nothing but a white bath robe.

"What are you up to now, Chris?" she asked, touching his cheek.

"Watching TV," he slurred, glaring at her. What was _she_ doing here?

"You look tired..." she said, playing with his hair.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Chris fumed, batting her hand away.

"You're at _my _house," she said, looking at him.

Chris blinked and then closed his eyes, willing it all to go away. The memories floated back to him: he'd been out drinking..._with Blainely_. And then there was some kissing and the rest was a great big blur...

"Elaine and Eli are out tonight," she said casually. "And you looked like you needed a fun Friday night with a _female _friend instead of that burly cafeteria worker for once..."

"Chef," Chris mumbled.

"Yeah, that's his name."

Tuning out the rest of what Blainely was saying, Chris let her grab his wrist and drag him up off of the couch.

Tonight was already his worst nightmare come true...how could much worse could things really get from here?


	2. Chapter 2

{2}

Gwen looked up at Duncan, furrowing her brows. Behind her stood Trent, his green eyes pensive as he waited. Taking a deep breath, Gwen looked away, then back at Duncan.

"I'm sorry," she said, being sincere.

"It's okay," Duncan said, reaching out and grabbing her shoulder. "It was fun while it lasted."

Gwen closed her eyes and smiled, then looked up at Duncan.

"I'm glad you're being so cool about this..."

"Yeah." Duncan nodded and stuck his fists into the pockets of his pants.

_Cool _was definitely the key word here. Cool as ice, ice cubes. Yet when he looked over at Trent, Duncan could feel an intense pang rocket through him. Trent _had _his chance with Gwen back in sophomore year. They'd been a cutesy type of couple, cuddling and nuzzling, but after five months of dating, Trent still hadn't made a move beyond first base.

Duncan had scored second base with Gwen the second week into when they were first dating. Maybe there'd been a thrill to pissing off Courtney, a kind of danger that made the relationship so exciting. Standing here, so late at night, it felt so...unreal.

Why _was_ she leaving him for Trent?

Frowning, Duncan looked down and kicked at the grass.

"See you around..." Gwen waved meekly.

"Yeah," Duncan replied in a monotone voice, giving nothing away.

He continued staring intently at the grass even when he sensed Trent and Gwen walking away. Once they were gone, he looked up at the sky and scowled at the moon. Then he looked back at Sandra's house, raised an eyebrow and fingered one of his eyebrow piercings. For a second, beer sounded like a very attractive notion to him...

That's when a kid came ambling out from Sandra's backyard, wearing no shirt and drenched from head to foot. He pumped his fists to the air and then collapsed. A bunch of guys wandered out after him-football players-laughing and pointing.

Rolling his eyes, Duncan decided to take a rain check on the beer and then wandered in the direction of his car.

-()-

Kate pushed open the door to the bedroom and wasn't surprised by what she found inside:

Arnold was liplocked with Leoni.

Leoni was a foreign exchange student from Germany and Arnold's _dream girl_. She had long sandy brown hair,dark eyes, naturally gorgeous with a brain the size of the sun. On top of her looks she was bilingual _and_ she was a master with video editing, visual effects, and CGI animation, three of Arnold's biggest interests.

Ever since Leoni had showed up at the beginning of senior year, Kate had suspected that Arnold had a thing for her. The chemistry had just kept brewing between them. They spoke to each other in fluent German, had more in common than Kate had ever had in common with Arnold, and Kate was fully aware that Leoni was crushing on him and that he felt the same. He'd blown off dates, totally forgot that Kate even existed whenever Leoni was around. Whenever Kate asked, he insisted that they were _just friends_. But Kate always knew better.

It was Courtney all over again. As she stood there watching, Kate could vividly remember being pushed out onto Jose's front porch, out in the rain. Watching this, she could feel her heart rate increasing, feel her anger rising. No tears this time.

She just clenched her fists and stood there, waiting. After awhile, Leoni pulled away from Arnold just long enough to see Kate standing there. She looked shocked, flipped her hair out of her face.

"Arnold..." she whispered.

"Kate..." Arnold's eyes widened, his voice pleading.

Scoffing, Kate just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why didn't you guys just _tell _me that you liked each other?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "I knew it all along...I would've understood, okay? I..."

"Kate!" Arnold cried, scrambling out from under Leoni.

Holding up her hand and shaking her head, Kate stopped him, then looked at him. "I've already made a big mistake myself tonight, okay? Let's just say that we're over. You start going out with Leoni. Just...no drama."

Making a sound, Kate stormed out of the room, just leaving Arnold standing there bewildered and confused. A few tears squiggled out of Kate's eyes, but she quickly brushed them away as she walked back downstairs. Taking a deep breath, she scanned the huge living room full of dancing bodies, calculating her next move.

Awhile ago, Kate had decided to become a stronger and better person. Seeing how strong and in control Courtney, Heather, and Elaine-her competition in pretty much anything now-were, she had to be just as strong and in control, too if not more so than them.

-()-

-Alejandro-

Who is this little _whelp_?

He's just barely average height with black hair that looks like the end of a mop hanging in his face and eyes the color of steel. There must be something incredibly special about him if Heather has been cheating on me with the likes of _him_.

I have every right to be absolutely furious right now: He kissed _mi novia_. Right in front of my face. Exploding like a volcano inside, I lunge forward and grab the twerp by the collar of his shirt lifting him two feet off of the ground. Glaring at him, I tighten my hold on his shirt...

...then he kicks me in the crotch.

With an embarrassing yelp, I fall back, the pain unbearable. Much to my surprise, Heather runs around and catches me, keeping me from landing on my rear. She helps me stand back up and I'm still trying to recover from such an underhanded blow.

Unh...It hurts so _damn _much.

I watch as Heather looks over at the twerp, frowning at him. "Ryan...Why the hell did you just kiss me in front of my frigging _boyfriend_?"

Ryan looks me over and then scoffs, blowing hair out of his face. Oh, if I wasn't in so much pain, I would be bashing his petty face in so far there'd be a crater in the middle where his nose is supposed to be.

"You broke up with me...and ended up with_ him?_" Ryan rolls his eyes. "You can do so much better than a guy that walked off of the cover of a lovesick old bitty's _romance _novel. Who _is_ this guy anyway? Jose Roses off of the Young and the Stupid or some other stupid soap-"

"_What _did you just call me?" I howl, feeling ten times more fury than before.

"Jose Roses," the idiot repeats, shrugging. "What? You like it? I write my own material..."

Jumping back to my feet, I break away from Heather and then stomp up to Ryan, looking down at him. Without hesitation, I lash out at him with a punch, but he just blocks it and laughs, raising an eyebrow. _Dios_, I've known him for barely a minute and I already don't like the smug little bastard.

"Wow...Jose's got game!" He tries to aim for the same spot as before, but I reel back and block him.

"Do not call me _Jose_," I growl at him.

Ryan just laughs, a high and melodious laugh before he pulls back and tries to clock me in the jaw. I block him and then get a shot in at his solar plexus, making him gasp for air. Relentlessly, I push him to the ground and then punch him in the nose, watching with satisfaction as crimson blood starts pouring out of his left nostril.

Smirking, I stand up and feel an endorphin rush from being able to wipe the look off of his face. Much to my dismay, he pops back onto his feet and grins again, reaching up and shielding his nose. "Wow...it's been awhile since anyone's bested me. Badass, dude. Badass," he manages to wheeze.

I glare and push him back, watching as he falls. "_Go away_."

"I just got here!" Ryan complains, looking incredulously at me. "I'm gonna be competing with you for Heather and...you want me to go away? As if I'm gonna let you two have any more mack time while _I'm_ around!"

His indignation and persistence irritate me. Feeling my anger rising again, I take another step forward, purposefully aiming my foot in the direction of Ryan's sneaker; he just barely pulls his foot away. While I get angrier and angrier, Ryan sees it all as a big game. Both of his eyes are _sparkling _with joy and there's the edges of a smile on his lips.

Pulling his hand away, Ryan hops back onto his feet and clenches his fists. "C'mon _El Toro_." he gibes at me, hopping back and forth. "Ready for Round Two? I know I am!"

I'm more than ready to beat him up again, but Heather steps forward and pushes me back. Then she walks up to Ryan, folding her arms and looking absolutely furious.

"You're not fighting with him over me," she states. "You're a bastard. I broke up with you. _We're done_."

I love the venom in her voice right now.

Ryan just cackles and smirks. "Ooh, baby, you're turning me on!" he croons. "You're so feisty and aggressive...you're sexy as hell." He leans in closer to her and whispers so low that I can't hear what he says next.

The comment makes Heather's cheeks turn bright red and she backs away from him, looking both embarrassed and furious. Her reaction makes me want to pick up the little twerp and chuck him all the way to the moon. Up there, he wouldn't ever be able to return and then he'd leave the two of us alone. I came here to be alone with _Heather, _not be hassled by one of her asshole ex-boyfriends.

"You know you want me..." Ryan says, winking at her. "You were _just like that_ when I first met you-"

"Ryan," Heather says, her voice sharp.

"Yeah, baby?" He winks again.

"Go away," she commands, her eye twitching slightly.

"Your wish is my command."

Finally, with a pathetically theatrical bow, Ryan wanders around the side of Heather's mansion and takes off. I watch him carefully, making sure that he actually leaves. As soon as he's gone, I turn back towards Heather. She's glaring at the grass, clenching and unclenching her fists, muttering under her breath. Gently, I reach out and touch Heather's shoulder, making her look up.

She blinks twice and then lets out a breath. "I had no clue he was back in town until just now," she says, relieving any doubts I was holding.

"There has to be a way to get him to back off," I muse, already trying to concoct ideas in my head. "What was it like for you while you were dating him?"

It kills me to ask the question, since I can't even imagine Ryan the bastard dating _mi dulche. _She's too good for him and I hate to make her remember the nightmare it must have been to date him. I only got a small taste of his obnoxious and disrespectful personality; Heather probably knows him inside and out...The thought of that kind of knowledge makes me cringe...

He's Heather's _Jose_, for lack of a better title.

Heather takes a deep breath and then starts walking towards the trellis propped up against the side of the mansion. "You'll need to sit down for this, Alejandro...It's a _loong _story."

"I've known Ryan almost all my life. Ever since fifth grade, he's had a _huge_ crush on me. He was always the most popular kid in school because he was the star of pretty much every sports team; he got a black belt in karate by the age of thirteen. A lot of the girls were majorly crushing on him. He was even the "it" boy before Justin moved to Cress my freshman year..."

"From fifth grade and beyond, Ryan flirted with me endlessly. He wasn't a stalker or anything. We just happened to be at a lot of the same events. In seventh grade, I...got sick of hearing him begging me to go out with him, so I gave in and became his girlfriend. My popularity and reputation really ballooned after that. Pretty much every girl was jealous of me. They wanted to _be_ me."

"In the end I...I admit it, I fell for Ryan. At first, I only stuck with him just for popularity and reputation, but then he did something that nobody else had ever done for me before. He stole my heart for the very first time-I know this sounds really cheesy-on Valentine's Day..."

Heather walked through the front door and then silently closed it behind her. The house looked like it was empty, bathed in darkness and shadows. Kind of freaked out, Heather crept through the foyer of Ryan's house and wandered through his kitchen, briefly catching sight of her wide eyes in the reflections of the kitchen utensils.

When she exited the kitchen into the living room, Heather saw a huge bouquet of red roses on an end table. All of the roses were fresh and dark red. Looking up from the roses, Heather noticed that the entire room was filled with rows and rows of candles, all of them exuding her favorite scent of flower. Her eyes widened as the smell filled her nostrils and she smiled.

That's when she felt a hand lightly tap her shoulder and Heather turned around: There stood Ryan, a soft smile on his face and his eyes twinkling.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Heather," he whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her.

Shivers ran down Heather's spine and her heart started to beat faster. She'd never had an experience like _this _before. Ryan had set all of this up..._just for her_? Having him so close to her made Heather begin to realize why couples made such a big to-do about the holiday now...

"I've been planning this for a long time," Ryan said, placing a hand under her chin. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah." Heather nodded, looking into his eyes.

They were alone. The room was dark. And when she looked into his eyes, she wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she could feel herself falling into them, feel an electrical current. As Ryan smiled again, she realized that she liked his smile and his gray eyes and the fact that he remembered more details about her than her parents did. Ryan had gone to all of this effort _without _any instruction or demand from Heather.

Such personalized attention made her knees wobble.

That was when Ryan leaned in closer. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. Then he kissed her.

He tasted like a cheeseburger.

It was Heather's very first kiss.

"We're gonna be freshmen in high school next semester, Heather...I wanna have a 'jump start' on everybody else," Ryan said with a devious grin. "_All_ of the high school kids are doing it!"

Heather frowned and bit her lip. She and Ryan were alone in his bedroom. Both of his parents were out of town and so were hers. Like a bird in a cage, Heather's heart seemed to be fluttering and slamming itself against her rib cage. All of her nerves were jolted.

Uncertain, Heather ran her fingers through her shoulder length dark hair and watched as Ryan pulled the blue curtains across his window. Looking at her, he started pulling off his red T-shirt and Heather blushed as she watched. Ryan had been working out a lot lately and it really showed. When he noticed her looking, Ryan scooched closer.

He grabbed her hand and placed it on his bare chest; his skin was warm...

"Don't you trust me?" he asked, looking at her intensely with his gray eyes.

"Yeah." Heather pulled her hand away. "I...don't know..."

"I could find another girl, you know," Ryan snapped. "I know how you feel about your damn freaking popularity, Heather..."

Heather's eyes widened in fear and she backed away from him. He knew her weakness and he was using it. Lately, he'd been bringing up her darkest secrets and using them as dirty laundry against her to get her to do what he wanted.

Ryan crept towards her again and grabbed her arms, his facial expression getting softer. "I'm sorry..." he said in a softer tone of voice. "So sorry."

"It's okay..." Heather replied, knowing that he was insincere.

"You know you're the hottest girl in school, right?"

"Yeah..."

"You'll be the hottest chick at the high school, too. And I want to be your boyfriend, okay?"

Heather nodded and he pulled her closer.

"I love you," he whispered intently.

Heather had mixed feelings about him, but he didn't even wait for her to respond. He just dove in and started kissing her, his kisses hot, hungry, and passionate. Startled, Heather just kissed him back.

Heather hid behind her locker door, absolutely mortified. Her face redder than a tomato, Heather peered around her locker door and her heart sank to her feet when she saw Ryan walking her way with a huge gaggle of high school jocks. Most of them were senior boys, too.

Once Ryan arrived, Heather wished she could shrink to the size of ant. With a smirk the size of Antarctica plastered to his face, Ryan draped an arm around Heather's neck and pulled her close.

"This is her!" he crowed at the big, burly boys.

Heather could feel some of them eying her like a piece of meat. Suddenly self-conscious, she reached up and covered her top half. She was sweating like a pig and she could feel her fear intensifying.

One of the senior boys, a kid with red hair that was almost orange, stepped out of the crowd.

"Mind if I talk to your girl...alone?" He had a smile like a wolf, full of sharp canines.

"Sure," Ryan said, releasing Heather and pushing her towards him.

The redhead clamped his hand on Heather's shoulder and then steered her down another hallway. He kept pushing her along until they were standing right outside the janitor's closet. The reek of disinfectant and other cleaners seeped out and Heather felt like she was about to puke.

That was when the redhead opened the door and gestured towards the closet, wiggling his eyebrows.

"My name's Cole," he said. "Current halfback of the football team and a real _hit _with the ladies, if you know what I mean. Ryan said quite a bit about you. Not only are you damn sexy, but you know how to show a guy a good time too, huh?"

Scared out of her mind, Heather shot a look over her shoulder. Ryan and the other jocks weren't even in view here. Turning back towards Cole, Heather saw the way he was looking at her, how much he resembled an animal. His smile growing a bit wider, Cole gestured to the closet again.

This was getting to be too much. From the moment Heather had walked in to high school, she'd been gibed and teased for being a _freshman_. As soon as lunch had rolled around for the past few days, some of the older girls had been picking at her like a relentless flock of vultures because of a load of crap Ryan had been spreading around to 'jump start' his reputation.

Sick of being scared and intimidated, Heather glared at Cole and then kicked him in the crotch, watching as he squeaked and then collapsed to the floor.

"You're a complete loser!" Heather howled at him. "Find a girl your own age, asshole!"

Furious, Heather charged through the hallways like a freight train, leaving Cole behind. She tried to follow the route that Cole had taken, searching determinedly for Ryan and his new jock friends. As soon as she found them, her anger flared even more when she saw Ryan casually talking it up with them all as if they were all old friends, laughing and guffawing.

"RYAN!" Heather yelled, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and yanking him away.

"Oh-ho-ho! _Dog house_!" one of the jocks gibed and the others laughed with him.

"Heather, can this wait?" Ryan looked at her with pleading eyes.

"_No,_" she replied curtly.

Wanting privacy, Heather dug her fingernails into his wrist and dragged Ryan all the way down the math hall to the calculus room. As she suspected, the room was empty. She dragged Ryan into the classroom and then sat on one of the tables, releasing him.

Ryan was grinning like an idiot, a grin that looked reminiscent of Cole's. He'd definitely found his place among the jocks here already...

"Strange choice for a make-out spot, but I'm digging it."

"Making out is the _last thing_ I want to do with you right now," Heather scowled.

"You look mad," Ryan said stupidly.

"Cole tried to get me to make out with him in the janitor's closet!" Heather cried, cutting right to the chase. "Why'd you let him drag me off like that?"

"Did you make out with him...?" Ryan was chewing on his lip.

"_No!_"Heather fumed.

"I didn't know Cole was gonna do that..." Ryan started twiddling his thumbs, a nervous habit of his.

"Why else would he want to 'talk' with me _alone_?" Heather got up from the table. "You've been telling _everybody _about that Friday night a few weeks ago!"

As she walked up to him, Ryan put his hands in his pockets. His nonchalance and casual attitude towards the situation was infuriating Heather. Of course _she _was the one receiving all the flack and he was being praised like a mythological Olympian god. She'd only been in high school for about a week and Heather was already seeing how the aesthetics of the social system worked.

"Yeah..." Ryan affirmed what she said and shrugged. "So?"

"We didn't even _do _that!" Heather cried.

"Because you're a freaking wimp..." Ryan said, rolling his eyes. "I think I'm doing you justice on that, Heather..."

"No, you're not!" Heather fumed, getting into his face. "You've _ruined _my life, Ryan. Just because you want to impress those dumbass jocks. I've been called 'bitch', 'slut', 'whore', 'skank', and even 'hooker.' By girls that I don't even _know_!"

Ryan's eyes widened. "Tell me which girls called you that. I can get somebody to beat them up..."

Heather shook her head. "If you would've said that a few days ago, I might have believed you," Heather said, her voice getting cold. "Even if you do get those girls to shut up, it's not enough."

"I don't like where this is going," Ryan said.

A cold smile crept onto Heather's face. Maybe he was smarter than people gave him credit for if he was able to pick up on what she was hinting at. Narrowing her eyes, Heather reached up and slapped Ryan across the face as hard as she could. As she lowered her hand, Ryan was looking at her incredulously, a big red hand print covering his entire left cheek.

"I'm breaking up with you, asshole," Heather snapped at him.

"You really are a bitch, you know that?" Ryan seethed, glaring back at her. "I was only dating you cause you're hot, but you really are a bitch."

Rolling her eyes, Heather turned and left the room, just leaving him standing there. As soon as she reached the hallway, she smiled as she walked away, his empty insults following her.

Dropping that loser really liberated her. As long as she lived, she swore that she'd never end up with _him _ever again.

It was halfway through sophomore year and Ryan had moved away from Cress early last year. But now here he was again, at some chick named Carry's party. Justin had ditched Heather for the night in favor of going to a hockey game with a bunch of his male model friends and a super-hot girl that Heather was sure he was going to get kissed by before the night was over.

So, here she was with Lindsay and Beth at Carry's party, trying to find something to do while Lindsay watched Tyler play pool and Beth tried to find a boyfriend among the small number of single guys there.

Heather found herself looking at him from across the room and he looked back at her every so often. A few times, their eyes locked and Heather couldn't help feeling a slight electric tingle from it. She avidly tried to avoid Ryan, but whenever she thought about him...her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt a little bit of longing.

Memories of Valentine's Day in seventh grade clouded her logic and tempted her aching heart. Justin was never really romantic or passionate or anything. Holding his hand felt like holding the hand of a marble statue and they'd kissed each other on the lips maybe...once? Twice? It was always for show anyway. It'd always been a great big facade.

Like magnets, somehow, Heather ended up finding Ryan outside of the upstairs bathroom in Carry's house.

"Hey," Ryan said lamely.

"Hi."

"How are you?"

"Good..."

They looked at each other awkwardly for a second. Then they both knew exactly what was going through each other's minds. Heather grabbed Ryan's hand and dragged him down the hall, up a flight of stairs and into the attic. They collapsed onto an old, floral print couch and Heather had Ryan pinned to the cushions.

Next thing she knew, she was kissing him over and over again, memories of previous times like this with him flooding through her mind. She clung to him like a life raft. After her sham of a relationship with Tony and her disappointment in being in a relationship with Justin, Ryan felt like a miracle. That rumor he spread about her freshman year had broken her heart and almost broken her, but as she felt his fingers run through her hair, Heather felt like she could forgive him.

Like they always had, Ryan's lips tasted like cheeseburger. Five minutes into making out, Heather could feel Ryan trying to stick his tongue in her mouth to spice up the experience, but Heather had pulled away from him by then and was staring at a pile of old trunks and other miscellaneous junk.

"I really missed you," Ryan said, looking at her even though she wasn't looking at him.

Heather took a deep breath. "I didn't know I still had...feelings for you..." She was speaking more to herself than him with that statement.

"I always knew that you did," Ryan replied. "Wanna give me a second chance?"

Frowning, Heather turned around to look at him. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm going out with another guy," Heather confessed.

"You just cheated on _him _with _me_," Ryan laughed. "So breaking up with him shouldn't be a problem."

"It's not that easy," Heather grumbled.

"I guess you don't want me back...?" Ryan looked confused.

Sighing, Heather crawled towards him and pressed the tip of her nose to his.

"I don't know..." she replied. "Do we _have _to discuss this right now or can we just make out again?"

"I choose Option B," Ryan said with a great big grin. "You're letting me French this time, though."

"_Fine..._" Heather sighed.

The next time Heather saw Ryan was a few weeks before her junior year. Carry's party felt like it'd happened centuries ago, but as soon as Ryan approached her at the local park, it felt as vivid and clear as if it had happened just yesterday. Sitting on the bench, Heather could feel his cheeseburger lips pressed against hers and she could feel a huge pang of longing skyrocket through her body. It was so intense she nearly keeled over.

"Hey Heather! What's up?"

As soon as Ryan sat down, Heather wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed the tip of her nose against his. Barely a minute into seeing him, she was launching into full-on flirt mode.

"Heey Ryan," she purred.

"Justin really has been neglecting you, kiddo!" Ryan laughed. "I've never had _this _kind of reaction from you! I'm seriously digging it..."

"Can we start kissing now?" Heather was getting impatient and her heart was clamoring in her chest.

"Whoo!" Ryan pretended to fan his face with his hand. "Wild woman!"

Closing her eyes and puckering her lips, Heather leaned towards him, but Ryan put a finger to her lips and pushed her away. Confused, Heather opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I'm not meeting with you like this again," Ryan said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm your _main man_, Heather. Not a side dish to Justin. Got it?"

Rolling her eyes, Heather leaned against the bench. "You're such a drama queen!"

"You _know_ I want you..." Ryan leaned in towards Heather's ear. "You can have me, Heather. Just break up with Justin. Is that so hard?"

Body temperature rising, Heather turned towards Ryan. There was something about him that just drew her in like a fish on a lure. Looking into his eyes, she wanted to take out her cell phone and text a break-up message to Justin right then and there. She'd be free and kissing Ryan as soon as she pressed the 'Send' button...

"Come on, Heather..." Ryan urged, his face only inches away from hers. "I'm only in town today and tomorrow."

"What?" This new information made Heather back up and sit straight.

"Heather, I can't help it. I'm only in town today and tomorrow. But we could work it out. I'd drive from my town to here _every weekend. _I'd even work night shifts for the gas money!"

Ryan was practically pleading with her, but Heather was shaking her head. If she was going to be in a relationship with him, she wasn't going to settle for long distance. They'd already been apart for quite a huge chunk of time and knowing Ryan, Heather knew there would be quite a few weekends when he _didn't _show up. He wouldn't be available for dances or her birthday or Valentine's Day.

"I'm not doing a long distance relationship!" Heather snapped.

"Fine, stay with Justin and be miserable for another year!" Ryan snapped back. "I'm your best option, Heather. I highly doubt Mr. Perfect's moving to Cress anytime soon." Ryan's eyes widened and he looked like he was about to laugh. "Yeah, your Mr. Perfect's moving to Cress as we speak. He'll fall head over heels for you and I'll bet he won't have as much trouble getting you to break up with Justin! I can see it now: He's a male model, a looker like Justin with your personality and a skill set no mere mortal man can match! His name will be something that rolls off the tongue...like Fernando! And he'll be a huge secret romantic-"

"Shut up, Ryan!" Heather spewed. "Your joke's not funny. I get it, okay?"

His mocking tone was really ticking her off.

"I'm sorry..." Ryan said, still laughing a little. "How about _I_ be your Mr. Perfect, huh? I'll try to move back to Cress as soon as I can and when I do, we can start up a relationship again!"


	3. Chapter 3

{3}

Kate stood in line, feeling like an idiot in the ruffly orange dress that Carmen was making her wear.

Despite lots of protesting and declaring that she had "two left feet", Carmen _still_ forced her to come and get flamenco lessons at the local town rec center. Just because the lessons were being offered by her father-in-law and she felt like they hadn't had any decent sister bonding time since she'd been in Spain and then gotten married to Carlos.

After seeing the make-out session between her ex-boyfriend and Leoni last night and the million texts he'd left on her cell phone, Kate couldn't stand seeing Carlos and Carmen being all "cutesy" together like they always were together. Carlos was squeezing Carmen's hand and whispering in her ear, making her laugh; the tips of her ears turned red like they always did when she was embarrassed. Looking at them, Kate could just see Arnold and Leoni, as perfect and happy together as Carlos was with her sister. It felt like the world was just rubbing it in her face.

Last year, when she'd first started dating Arnold, everything had been a dream come true for Kate. A few months later, they discovered how incompatible they were. Before Leoni showed up, they weren't even kissing anymore. Deep down, Kate couldn't blame Arnold. Just because she was in love with Arnold didn't automatically mean that he was going to love her back. She felt kind of hollow being single, but she wasn't upset. She was angry at Arnold for not telling her he'd started a relationship with Leoni, but she knew it was fixable. If not for Carmen and Carlos, Kate would've already been on her way to Arnold's house to patch things up and give Arnold and Leoni her "official blessing." Not to mention she still needed to clear things up with Harold and LaShawna, too...

Carlos' dad walked to the center of the large room and clapped his hands. Everybody turned to look at him and he started rattling off the rules and routine for how to flamenco. Watching him, Kate was mystified by his dark eyes, the same dark eyes Carlos had. For an older man, Mr. Burromuerto still had it going on and Kate could see where the three Burromuerto brothers had gotten their looks from...

She didn't really pay much attention to what he was saying. Much to her own dismay, she found her thoughts drifting to how much her love life officially sucked. As of today, she was thoroughly convinced that the best thing for her to do would be to just stay single. No more drama. No more heart ache-

That's when everybody partnered up and started practicing Carlos dad's demonstrated moves. Helplessly, Kate watched as Carlos and Carmen danced, already having some expertise in their movements. Carmen flipped her long black and pink skirt with grace while Carlos walked around with her. They were a pair of lovestruck swans: dead sexy, graceful, and beautiful. A lot of the other dancers watched them, either impressed or jealous.

Folding her arms, Kate exhaled and rolled her eyes. This was the kind of reaction Carlos and Carmen got everywhere, especially since Carlos was somewhat of a celebrity. Kate realized that she was the only one _without_ a dancing partner. Of course. She didn't really want to dance anyway.

Hopefully Carlos and Carmen would be too wrapped up in each other to notice. Then Kate wouldn't end up dancing with Carlos because he felt guilty for her not getting included.

Just as her hopes were ballooning, Kate felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"I suppose you need a temporary dance partner?"

She turned and her eyes narrowed when she found Alejandro Burromuerto standing there. It was bad enough that they were in-laws because of her sister, but Kate could feel her gut and intestines twisting into a huge knot. Was it jealousy? She didn't know why, but she'd never really liked Alejandro. Originally, it was because he was the valedictorian over Arnold, but now she really didn't know.

"Yeah...thanks," she said, trying to look grateful and following him out onto the dance floor.

Alejandro effortlessly slipped into the rhythm of the spicy music playing, but Kate faltered, trying to guess at the moves. After a minute of continued fumbles and mess-ups, Alejandro sighed heavily and stared at her.

"Were you even paying attention?" he asked, not even trying to mask his irritation.

"No..." Kate answered honestly. "I didn't really want to learn flamenco anyway. Carmen forced me to come here."

Alejandro smirked a little. "I learned how to dance flamenco at age five. I'm only here because _Carlos _convinced me to come."

"Huh, looks like we're here for similar reasons..."

Kate briefly shot a look over her shoulder at the blissful Carlos and Carmen, then she looked back at Alejandro. For a second, Kate could swear that he looked...frustrated. He looked like he had something on his mind, as if the "perfect" Alejandro was experiencing some kind of problem.

"Something wrong?" Kate asked before she knew the words had escaped her lips.

"No," Alejandro replied as the music died.

Frowning, Kate knew that he was lying. Distracted, Alejandro turned and watched his father explaining the next series of moves, even though he probably already knew what all of them were. For some strange reason, Kate found herself watching him, the way he kept frowning and how one of his eyebrows twitched. There was an obvious chink in his armor and Kate couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy even though she didn't even know what could be on his mind.

The music started up again and Kate felt herself go feverish with a bizarre desire: she wanted to impress all of the other dancers in the room. Casting a glance at Carlos and Carmen, Kate reached out for the sleeve of Alejandro's shirt and tugged on it lightly.

"Do you know the tango?" she asked.

"Yes." He looked confused.

"Carlos and Carmen are the obvious shining stars here," Kate said, clenching her fists. "I wanna give 'em a run for their money!"

Alejandro tilted his head and a thoughtful look crossed his face. For a second, Kate was cursing herself for bringing up her strange idea, then the next second she found herself naturally sliding into the tango position with Alejandro.

All of her problems started to melt away as Kate sank into the tempo of the music. Silently counting out the beats in her mind, Kate briefly found herself back at her grandmother's ranch in Mexico where Grandma Hernandez had drummed the tango technique into her mind until she could perform it as naturally as breathing. She rocketed back into reality when Alejandro coaxed her into a spin and Kate could feel an endorphin rush as she spun once, twice, three times, her ugly ruffled skirt following her like a train of peacock feathers.

Everybody was looking at them now, even Carlos and Carmen.

A second later, Kate found herself looking at Alejandro. He was smirking and she knew exactly why. Both of them wanted to wipe the floor with their older siblings. Somehow, Kate found herself smirking back and then she found herself looking into his green eyes and he was looking right back at her, into her brown eyes. His stare was intense and sent shivers rocketing through her body.

Everything seemed to temporarily melt away and Kate could feel her heart pounding, her breath catch in her throat. All too soon the music stopped and Kate felt like she was way too close to Alejandro. Relief flooded through her when he pulled away and she backed up, not daring to look into his eyes again. Before Mr. Burromuerto could start his next lesson, Kate made a point of walking over to Carmen, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out into the hallway.

Under the fluorescent lights, Carmen's face reflected just how confused Kate was feeling at that moment.

"What was that?" Carmen asked, her eyes beginning to light up. "I didn't know you could tango, Catalina!"

Kate grimaced; Carmen only used her full first name when she was overly impressed or angry with her.

"Gramma taught me..." Kate muttered.

"You and Alejandro are great tango partners!" Carmen gushed. "You looked like professionals! Oh, you two should enter competitions...It'd be soo cute!"

Carmen went on for several minutes and Kate could feel her cheeks flaring red. Back there, she'd made a huge mistake and Carmen was going to make her pay for it. If Carmen wanted to see Kate and Alejandro doing the tango in big competitions, she could and would make it happen. And Carlos would help her.

Slumping her shoulders, Kate looked down at the floor. Somewhere inside, Kate knew that she loved dancing with Alejandro. She was in love with Carmen's idea...but she wasn't in love with the possibility of falling for Alejandro.

The sad part was, she knew it was inevitable...

-Heather-

I feel like crap after spilling my "heartfelt" back story about Ryan to Alejandro. To be honest, there'd been times in the past where I'd felt so alone that Ryan's company was better than being lonely and by myself. When everybody else had been busy, his cheeseburger tasting lips felt like a very attractive notion to me. At one point, Ryan really had been a nice guy.

He used to be the guy that said "hi" to everybody in the hallway and made even the nerds feel accepted. He was the dude that volunteered at soup kitchens on the weekends and donated a huge chunk of his allowance to the poor on the holidays. _That_ was the guy I'd fallen in love with. (Yeah, I've never been anything like that, but it really touched me...) Not the jerk whose biggest goal in life was getting into my pants and his free time was spent coming up with lame-ass comedy bits. _Jose Roses_? Really, Ryan? You're soo not funny.

All I knew was that Alejandro was thinking about it a lot. It was really weighing on his mind and I could just tell that even though he knew he was my boy, he wasn't sure if I was _his_ girl. I'd feel the same way if one of Al's ex-girlfriends sauntered into town unannounced and tried to take him away from me. But I honestly don't think he sees Ryan as any kind of competition, just a major nuisance.

I share his sentiments. But I can't say that Ryan wasn't at the back of my mind before he showed up...

Somehow, Beth managed to drag me to the drug store with her and her boyfriend Eli. Yeah, Eli was Elaine's older brother, but he couldn't stand his younger sister and he legitimately adored Beth. It was Elaine that introduced them to each other, but neither one had been really keen on following Elaine's path of deception and forged their own way. They've been together since the dramatic week before the presidential elections last year.

It was kinda cute watching Beth trying to find eyeliner or lipstick that would "match her complexion" and Eli telling her that "she looked beautiful without make-up." They were so sweet together it was like having a mouth full of cotton candy. It really makes me wonder how tall, blond, blue eyed and kind Eli could be related to someone as sinister and terrible as Elaine.

I was beginning to wonder why Beth even wanted me here...

Of our clique, Lindsay was the make-up princess. Seriously, she saved me from wearing _salmon _colored lipstick. I'm the girl to go to for clothes shopping, but Lindsay's the better choice for something like this. Not that I'd ever admit she was better than me at it or that I sometimes doubted my own ability in make-up...

I watched Beth fuss over make-up with Eli for another minute, then I just rolled my eyes and headed towards the bathroom. They'd be arguing about Beth's make-up for at least another fifteen minutes. That was just enough time for me to check on my own make-up or scroll through missed texts, even though I knew a lot of them were probably from Lindsay about how "fabulous" her new purchases were; she was out shopping with Tyler today.

Of course, Alejandro had other obligations to attend to today, or else I'd be hugging and kissing him all day until he was fully assured that Ryan held _nothing _on him.

Just as I got to the bathroom, I almost screamed when the door flew open and a couple fell out. It was some purple haired chick and...Duncan?

Duncan pushed the girl off and she was smiling at him, narrowing her eyes.

"Was that _daring _enough for you, bad boy?" she purred.

"Oh yeah, you're pretty damn feisty for a sophomore!" Duncan laughed. "Making out in a drug station bathroom? _Niceee_."

I could feel the bile building up in my throat. "That's so GROSS!" I yelled at them before I even realized I was yelling.

"Oh..." Duncan rolled off of his new girlfriend and climbed to his feet. He walked over to me, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know that I needed Her Royal Highness' permission to pursue a love life!"

"Drug store bathrooms are so. Freaking. Grody." I could just imagine how many germs were crawling all over the place and it just freaked me out.

Don't get me wrong, if Al was around, he could probably convince me to make out _anywhere, _but I do prefer a couch or somewhere...not as freaking nasty as a gas station bathroom that probably hasn't been cleaned in, like, years.

"Why do you even care, bitch?" the purple haired snot spat at me.

"What did you just call me?" I narrowed my eyes at her and she glared right back at me.

"Bitch," she repeated, her tongue ring glinting. "Bitchy bitchy bitch bitch."

Beside her, Duncan laughed and hi-fived her.

I rolled my eyes. Duncan had been the resident bad boy since sixth grade when he vandalized the dumpster outside the middle school and started picking on nerds. We'd never really seen eye to eye, especially after his creepy crush on me freshman year. Ick. I'd _never _go for a guy like him. Not now. Not ever.

"As if you have much to say," I sneered at Duncan's new girl. "Purple is _so _not your color. Those boots are so tacky only an ugly ass girl like you would wear them. Your tongue piercing is absolutely disgusting. If you think you're _hot _in a Gothic chick way, you're as attractive as a hobo in raggedy clothes with a beard growing down to his feet."

She rolled her eyes. "As if I care what _you _think about my fashion sense. I'm not a conformist _cow _like you are!"

"Excuse me?" I said, walking up to her.

We were toe to toe and I was easily taller than her by a foot, but she snarled up at me like a vicious chihuahua. She was really grating on my last nerve. If she wanted to trash talk, I'd been in enough trash talking matches with LaShawna, the _queen _of it, that I could squash her like a bug. I could easily kick her ass, too.

"Catfight!" Duncan cheered.

What happened next surprised me. The purple haired girl turned away from me and stared at Duncan for a long moment. Then she promptly stomped on both of his feet and slapped him across the feet.

"Sexist pig!" she cried at him before stomping away.

Once she was gone, Duncan took a short intake of breath and raised his eyebrow.

"I could've sworn she was gonna kick me in the nuts..." he said to no one in particular.

We stood there for a long, awkward moment, looking at each other. I was pretty confused by what had just happened, but I was still angry. The awkwardness melted away and I started glaring at Duncan again, but he didn't glare back.

"Why do you care that I was making out with a girl in a gas station bathroom?" he flat out asked, naming the elephant in the room.

He had me there. I honestly have no clue why I give a crap what he was doing with that purple haired girl or why. But I wasn't going to let _him _know that I didn't know.

"It's disgusting!" I replied, working up a huff. "I was just going to fix my make-up in the bathroom and I didn't need to see a couple of _losers _making out in there. It'd ruin my concentration..."

"You have _feelings_ for me!" Duncan said out of nowhere, raising his brow suggestively.

I rolled my eyes and turned away, absolutely appalled by such a disgusting, unearthly thought. "As if."

"Courtney was just as stubborn as you before I finally won her over," Duncan continued. "The more you resist me, the more I _know _you're into me..."

The mere thought was making me gag. "For your information, I'd _never _go out with someone like you and I already have a boyfriend who's ten times hotter than you could ever dream of being!"

That made Duncan burst into laughter. His reaction...What the hell?

"You didn't really think I was flirting with _you_, did you?" he said in-between bouts of laughter.

What?

I scoffed, maintaining my composure. "Like _I'd_ flirt with someone like _you_."

He continued laughing and I just kept my back turned to him, trying not to look.

For some strange reason, I felt...kinda offended. Yeah, I was as interested in Duncan as I was in a freaking cockroach, but it kinda stung that he'd been _pretending _to flirt with me. It reminded me of when I'd still been playing cat-and-mouse with Alejandro. Of course, I knew now that he'd been legitimately flirting then, but right now, some part of me actually...wanted Duncan to be interested in me...

Awkwardly, I turned back to face him and shot a steely glare at him. Finally he stopped laughing at me. Then he looked at the door to the bathroom, down at the floor, and then up at me. His eyebrow ring glinted strangely in the light of the drug store.

We stared at each other for a long moment, our gazes locked and there was a strange silence in the empty air. Duncan broke it: "Do you...want to make out with me in there?"

The offer sounded serious and I could feel my heart fluttering like a caged bird. Then reality kicked in and I knew he just _had_ to be joking. There's no way in hell he'd ask me something like that and actually mean it. I could give him this much at least: He was good at pretending to pull a straight face.

"Heather!" Beth called out. "Hey! Heather!"

I turned and saw her and Eli running over to me. Beth was clutching a box triumphantly in her hands and Eli looked kind of irritated about it.

Briefly, I looked over my shoulder and saw Duncan walking away, his question unanswered. Before he disappeared completely from view, he turned back and winked at me, flashing a sly grin.

A red convertible pulled up out front.

A little girl with light brown hair and green eyes dropped the ball she was playing with. She watched with wide eyes as the car door opened and a tall guy in a dark suit sauntered out, looking serious as he approached the house. Excited, the little girl raced over to him, waving her arms.

"Awehandwo!" she called, guessing that the stranger was her older brother.

The man stopped and she hugged his leg, looking up at him with her wide, cherubic eyes.

"The name's Jose," he said, gently dislodging her from his leg. "Never call me _Alejandro_ again..."

Confused, she hopped up and down excitedly. "Hermano Jose! Hermano Jose!" she cheered. " Jose!"

Suddenly, she was scooped up by her mother and she squirmed, wanting to get free of her mother's embrace and ask her big brother Jose if he wanted to play. This was the very first time she'd ever seen him and since he looked so much like Alejandro, she wondered if he was as nice and friendly as Alejandro was, too. But Mama wouldn't let her go!

"Jose..." Mama said, not as excited as Pilar was to see Jose here. "What...?"

"Is Carlos home?" Jose snapped, adjusting the sunglasses on his face.

"No, he's out with Carmen," Jose's mom replied, frowning. "Why?"

"When will he be getting back?" Jose demanded, his tone clipped.

Frowning, his mother shifted to tighten her hold on her youngest child. "I haven't seen you in quite a long time, Jose. Why don't you come in and catch up with me?"

"No time for that."

"You _never_ have time for your family anymore!" she complained. "You're coming in."

She looked determined, but Jose just waved her away. "If Carlos isn't here, then I've got no damn business here!"

"JOSE!" She was angry now. "Don't you _dare _say such profanity in front of your little sister..."

"Bye Mom," Jose replied.

Pilar watched over Mama's shoulder as Jose walked back over to his idling convertible, climbed in and then drove away. Once he was gone, she looked back at her mom with big, innocent eyes.

"What does 'damn' mean?"


	4. Chapter 4

{4}

There was that girl again. The girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She was so cute and, as Cody had recently learned, single. Since the beginning of senior year, she'd really caught his eye. She was fairly popular; even the "fearsome three" Courtney, Heather, and Elaine definitely saw her as a threat. But she wasn't mean like they were; she was mind numbingly sweet and nice, like a giant puff of cotton candy.

Cody sighed as he watched her at her locker. He might not have a chance with Gwen, but maybe he had a chance with _her_.

Closing his eyes, he could just imagine asking her out, her saying yes, dates, kissing...Then he opened his eyes. That thought train was a bit too abrupt for the current moment. She probably didn't even know him beyond first name basis yet, but Cody was determined to change that.

"CODY!" a way-too familiar voice squealed.

He cringed and swallowed a yelp as Sierra enveloped him in a giant bear hug. If he made any kind of noise, he'd compromise his hiding spot and he wasn't very keen on Kate noticing that he was 'admiring' her from afar. Stalking would make him sound like Sierra...

But then again, Sierra had squealed loud enough the entire school had heard her, but luckily, Kate just closed her locker and wandered off, not noticing a thing.

"How are you today?" Sierra asked, smiling down into his face.

"Fine," Cody mumbled as he disentangled himself for her embrace. "How are you?"

"Fantastic!" Sierra cried, absolutely ecstatic. "Guess what?"

"What?" It was just easier to play along than anything else.

"I'm the president of the official basket weaving club!" Sierra announced proudly.

"Basket weaving club?" Cody raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, the principal let me start it up!" Sierra was hopping up and down now. "I got enough petition signatures and everything!"

Sighing again, Cody looked over his shoulder at Kate's locker. She was _so_ cute...

Looking back at his best friend Sierra, Cody wasn't surprised that she'd succeeded in getting her club started. From the moment she'd entered Cress High, she'd been the official "principal's pet." And into the second week of high school, she'd stuck herself to Cody like glue. In her mind, they were going out, but in reality, Cody tentatively considered her his best friend after three years of knowing her. He really did like Sierra, it was just that her eccentric personality was a lot for him to handle sometimes...

"Are _you _going to sign up for basket weaving club, Cody-kins?" she asked, pinching his cheek.

Cody rolled his eyes. _There goes two hours of my life for the rest of the year_, he thought bitterly.

"I knew you'd be excited!" Sierra crowed.

-Alejandro-

Something weird is definitely going on. Heather's silent. She was silent when I met her at the front doors of the school and she's been silent all the way to her locker. There's barely even been any kind of eye contact between us. I can tell that she feels extremely wary and she keeps looking around in all directions, even at the ceiling.

Ryan disconcerts me, too, but I'm not looking all around like she is. I'll be able to detect when the twerp shows up. 'When' is the key word here since it's abundantly clear that Ryan wants to be as irritating a bastard as he can be. And his shenanigans continue today. What makes things worse is that today's a Monday, so there's _four _more days of unavoidable annoyance following today.

_Dios_, things were so much easier when _Justin _was the only one I had to fight off, but it's better to start warding off the twerp now and hopefully, he'll be gone or out of our hair long before Valentine's Day.

Suddenly, Heather lets out a deep breath, then grabs my wrist and starts dragging me off somewhere. I just let her do so and next thing I know, we're outside of the school. It's pretty cold outside today, so I slip off my coat and wrap it around Heather's shoulders. Then I pull her close and hold her tight. It may sound cheesy, but she can be so cuddly and adorable.

She'd kill me for even thinking that, but I can just feel my heart melting when she hugs me back.

"I _really _don't wanna stay at school," Heather says, looking up at me.

"I know what you mean," I tell her, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Let's skip."

"What...?"

"Let's skip school," she repeats, smiling up at me.

"I can't do that, Heather," I tell her, knowing it sounds lame.

"You really _are _a Mama's boy." She rolls her eyes. "She's practically got you on a leash, Alejandro. You're almost eighteen. Do you _always _have to listen to your freaking mom?"

Ouch. How can Heather be the key to my heart one moment and then pushing my buttons the next?

Disgusted, I remove her from my embrace and then walk back towards the school.

"If you want to skip, go ahead," I tell her, without looking back.

She's not dropping the issue. Next thing I know, she grabs my wrist in an iron grip and spins me back around, grabbing both of my arms. Then she yanks my shirt collar and reins me in until our noses are touching. As inappropriately as always, it's her anger that gets my heart racing.

"When did you become such a damn saint?" she howls at me. She's so angry, but I can tell that she's trying to hide..._fear?_ Heather..._tiene miedo_? It just doesn't make any sense to me, but I can feel myself getting defensive nonetheless.

"For one thing, I've sneaked out on multiple occasions past Mama's curfew to see you," I tell her in a steely tone of voice. "As much as I'd love to skip school and spend the entire day with you...Trust me, the notion truly entices me, _mi angel_, but that's not the way to deal with Ryan."

Heather sighs and folds her arms, shivering despite the fact that she's wearing my coat. "That's just it!" Heather cries, looking at me. "I've barely gotten to spend _any _time with you this week! Ryan's making things worse. He'll bother us _all day_, Alejandro. I...I wanted to have at least _one day _alone with you before dealing with him again."

I sigh, feeling my shoulders droop and my heart break. She's right. In between my job, dealing with that little bastard Ryan, and babysitting Pilar, I won't be able to spend any more time with her this week. Even if I did convince Carlos and Carmen to babysit for me, I have a sneaking suspicion Ryan would still rear his _cabezo feo _into our business wherever we went.

"Alright." I look up at her. "Where were you wanting to go?"

I might as well give in-

The doors open behind us and a huge stream of kids starts filing out. Unexpectedly, Gwen runs up to me out of the crowd, tugging a dark haired guy behind her.

"School's been canceled!" she says excitedly before running off.

Several more kids start piling out. Heather and I look at each other and then sprint for my truck. We need to get away from here before Ryan materializes out of thin air and harasses us.

As soon as we're sitting in my truck, I take off and go down an alternate road so that we don't get caught up in the traffic of cars leaving the high school. Cress is pretty small for a town in the surrounding area of New York City. Truthfully, I'd prefer to live in NYC, but for the short amount of time I've lived here, I practically know the streets and street names here like the back of my hand.

As we pass a line of small and squat houses that look like they belong in 1950s suburbia, Heather casts a slightly nervous glance before looking back out the window.

"I'm sorry...for the comment about your mom and stuff," she mutters, blushing. It's a big thing for her, or me, to say those two little words. It's a matter of pride, I suppose, but irregardless I'm touched.

"Would it bother you that I'm a bit of a Mama's boy?" I ask, wiggling my eyebrow at her. "I respect women more because of it. Is that a turn on for you?"

She rolls her eyes and looks at me, smiling since she knows that me flirting with her is me accepting her apology. "Ryan's just got me on edge..." she says with a heavy sigh, making the atmosphere serious and solemn again.

"Why?" I look at her incredulously. "That guy is quite an annoying little bastard, but he's nothing to be scared of. It will take a lot to get him to go away, yes, but part of letting him win is letting him _know _that he's such a nuisance or even thinking about him. You were the one determined to spend some time alone together, so let's start by not focusing on Ryan anymore. Pretend he doesn't exist."

Sighing, Heather puts her head on my shoulder and hugs my arm. "Yeah, that sounds good. Real good..."

-Heather-

Alejandro's taking a route to God-knows-where. We're practically at the outer edge of town and he doesn't stop driving until we reach a small, two-story white house. He pulls right up into the driveway and as soon as the car stops, I turn to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Why'd you come here?" The obvious question.

"It's Carlos' and Carmen's house," Alejandro replied with a sly smile. "They aren't home right now."

Then he fishes a key out of his pocket and twirls it once right in front of my face, winking. Sometimes it feels like I share a freaky ESP thing with Alejandro, like we know what the other's thinking, like some sets of twins can do. Other times, I can't figure the guy out. Sometimes, he tries to act like a knight in shining armor, even though he's far from it, and other times, he really shows how much of a deceptive and sneaky bastard he can be.

It's times like this that I love the guy for it.

We walk up to the front door of Alejandro's brother's house and just as he sticks the key in the door, a loud scream echoes through the empty air. Alejandro's fingers are frozen on the door knob and I turn to look, biting my lip in fear. Ryan has a high and shrill feminine scream just like that.

My fear was for absolutely nothing, though, 'cause it's just that freaky chick with long purple and pink hair and her nerd boyfriend. They're walking towards the house next door, totally oblivious to me and Al. The freaky chick screams again, letting the entire world hear her wrath; her boyfriend looks bewildered and confused and like he really doesn't want to be here right now.

"...it was bad enough when you had a c-crush on Gwen," Freaky Chick cries, breaking down from anger into tears. "You asked that girl out on date. A. Date. Do you even care about what's going on between us, Cody-kins?"

_Cody-kins?_ What a ridiculous nick name. Watching this, I feel like I'm watching a soap opera on TV and these two are two bit actors that can't act worth a damn. It's kind of funny, but sad at the same time. Even though she totally creeps me out, I feel kind of sorry for the freaky chick.

"Sierra," Cody sighs, furrowing his brows. "I just...We're _friends_, okay? Best friends. I don't feel-"

Alejandro grabs my wrist and I turn to look at him. The door's open and the inside of the house looks so comfortable and inviting. He tugs my wrist again, inclining his head towards the house, obviously ignoring the arguing "couple" out on the sidewalk. I smile at him and he smiles back, gently stroking my hand. His touch is so light, like the tip of a feather; it sends tingles running down my spine.

Suddenly, I'm pushed against the door frame and pinned to the wall by Sierra the freaky chick's hand.

She grabs Alejandro with her other, shoves her face towards his and plants a big, sloppy kiss on his cheeks, making a big display out of it.

It's so unexpected Alejandro lets go of my wrist. Furious, I grab Sierra by the shoulders and wrench her away from my _boyfriend _before she starts a full-on make-out session with him. I spin her around and then slap her several times across the face, howling like a banshee and showing her the full extent of my anger. I've been waiting a long time for a chance for some time alone with Alejandro and she's not gonna ruin it!

Nobody messes with _my _man.

Sierra grabs my wrists and glares at me, holding me back. All I'm seeing is red. I push against her grip and struggle to get back to slapping the bitch senseless, but she manages to tighten her grip, harder and harder like a pair of iron clasps. If her grip gets any tighter, she's gonna clip off my hands.

"As you can see, Cody, I've moved on, too!" Sierra screams over her shoulder. "_I _just kissed the most popular boy in school. _I don't need you_."

"Sierra!" the nerdling cries.

"You better stay off of my boyfriend or I'm gonna kick your ass!" I yell at her, wrenching my hands out of her grip.

What happens then? She doesn't even pay attention to me. She just struts to the end of the sidewalk, folds her arms across her chest and turns her back to Cody in a huff.

The nerdling continues to try begging and pleading with Sierra while I shoot daggers at her back.

Suddenly, Alejandro walks over and pushes Cody and Sierra apart. Confused, Cody looks up at him and frowns while Sierra refuses to acknowledge either one and has a stupid-looking pout on her face. While I'm just as confused as Cody as to what Al's up to, I want to beat up Sierra more. But I find myself frozen to the spot, folding my arms and glaring. I just have a feeling that Al wouldn't be too happy if I intervened right now...

"You two appear to be having...a lover's quarrel?" Alejandro asked, looking at Cody.

"Um...I'm not her boyfriend," he replied.

Sierra sticks out her tongue at Cody and turns away again. After a moment, Sierra's shoulders slump again and she turns back to look at Cody again, her eyes filled with tears and her lips trembling. Crying, she yelps, "I'm...not your girlfriend...?"

"I've been trying to tell you that for a long time," Cody said gently. "Don't get me wrong...You're my best friend, Sierra..._Augh_!"

Nodding in a knowing way, Alejandro leans towards Sierra and puts his fingers under her chin, tilting her face towards his and making her look at him.

"Did you kiss me just to spite Cody?" he asked her, as if it's the most _natural _thing in the world.

"Y-yeah..." Sierra nods.

"You wanted to show him how it feels when he's with another girl?" he whispers, getting _way too close _to her.

"Uh-huh," Sierra mutters, wiping at her eyes.

Alejandro leans forward and whispers something in her ear and her eyes widen. Then she nods and they share a secret smile with each other.

Smirking, Alejandro slinks away and walks back over to me, looking a bit too pleased with himself. His facial expression tells me the entire story and he wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

"You didn't..." I look up at him.

In reply, he just nods and smirks again, affirming that he just _did_.

"That's it, Cody," Sierra said to him, folding her arms. "Let's see how you like it when I go out with another guy. _Alejandro's_ setting me up with someone special!"

Cody frowns and then looks around at us and I can see the skepticism in his eyes. I just wave at him and smile as I follow Alejandro inside.

As soon as the door shuts behind us, I let the outside word completely disappear.

Alejandro pushes me against the door, leaning in close enough that the tips of our noses are touching. The house is still dark and the expression on Alejandro's face is so severely sexy. His gaze is intense and he cups my chin, leaning in only millimeters from my face. My heart's beating rapidly in my chest and we just keep smirking at each other, basking in a successful revenge plan. Killing _two _birds with _one _stone.

That's when the door starts shaking and I can hear the nerdling yelling protests on the other side of it. Each time he pounds the door with his fists, Al's smirk just keeps getting bigger. I can see the invisible devil horns sprouting out of his head. There's something kind of cute about the mental image. He really can be evil when he wants to be, just like me.

We stand there for a few moments longer and _I_ make a big show out of drawing the lock across the door, making absolutely sure that Cody hears it.

After awhile, the pounding and yelling stops and we can hear the retreat of Cody's footsteps.

Once he's gone, Alejandro sighs deeply, gently pulling out of my embrace and then walking over to the dark leather couch in the center of the living room. There's a little bit of light seeping into the house from the windows not covered by blinds, so I can kind of see. Smiling, I walk over to the couch and watch as Al makes himself at home, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head.

As soon as I sit down, I kick off my boots and take off his jacket and my own thin one. Then I climb onto the cushions, on all fours and I creep over towards him, looming over him and looking into his face. Purring like a cat, he reaches up and wraps his arms around my neck, pulling me towards him. Oh, it feels so good to be this close to him again.

Trying to be romantic, he nuzzles me a few times, rubbing his cheek against mine. He's more affectionate than usual, if that's possible. He was in a bizarre cuddle mood all winter last year. It seems to be his favorite season from the way he held onto me like a life raft every chance he got to. And he's doing just that right now.

He kisses me on the cheek, opens his eyes, and sighs again. He's in an _extremely_ good mood right now.

"Remember Christmas?" he reminisced with a smile.

"Yeah, how could I forget?" I roll my eyes at the memory. "You just _had _to make a big deal out of us standing under the mistletoe..."

"I'll mix it up nest time, I promise," he said, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Why'd you bring up Christmas?"

"I have a feeling it's going to snow again sometime this week," he said breezily. "Since it's so cold, I get to hold you close to me in a tender embrace for as long as I want to."

"Like right now?" I smile a little.

"Definitely, but I do want a little more than just an embrace..." He smiles mischievously, making me blush. I hate that he can make me blush so easily.

Before he could tease me about blushing, I lean forward and kiss him. He wraps his arms around me and we just kiss for a long minute. It's nothing big, just like butterfly wings brushing against my lips. But like any other time we're together, it doesn't stay a simple kiss for very long...

We start making out and Alejandro moves his hand from my neck to the small of my back, tracing his finger up and down my spine. I wrap my fingers in his hair and start pushing it back. His hair is so silky smooth (I've actually been tempted to ask what conditioner he uses in it a couple of times). Right now, I'm feeling a major wave of the warm and fuzzies. To my surprise, I wanna pull away from Alejandro and whisper to him that I love him.

I really do. That's why I've been missing him so badly...

Suddenly, Alejandro pulls away from me, cradling my chin and smiling.

"I really missed you, Heather," he said. "_Te amo mucho_..."

My heart explodes when he says that. I don't care how many freaking times he's told me that now, I still love hearing him say those words.

"_Te amo tambien_," I said back, watching his eyes light up as he smiled.

He loves it when I speak to him in Spanish. A few times, we've had entire conversations in nothing but Spanish and it's pretty sexy. Not to mention...romantic.

He leans back towards me and we're just about to kiss again-

The door opens, flooding the room with sunlight and then I can feel my eyes burning when the light switch is flicked on.

Kate stands in the doorway and I quickly start climbing off of Alejandro as she stares at us, her eyebrow raising.

"Please don't tell me I just intruded on your privacy..." she said, her eyes bloodshot and her backpack dangling from her hand.

Ryan slammed the door behind him, trudging down the hallway and pounding the buttons on his cell phone. He had received a mountain slide of texts from a bunch of his old friends here in Cress and had just spent an entire half hour trying to answer them all. Now that he was home, he found a whole bunch more.

Sighing, he looked at the pair of brown loafers by the door and groaned. It was bad enough that he'd let Heather escape with Alejandro, but his freaking _dad _happened to be home, too.

Angry, Ryan turned off his cell phone and crammed it into his jeans pocket. Then he went into the living room and, as expected, he found his dad sprawled out on the couch, mindlessly watching some absolutely stupid reality show on TV. For a second, Ryan watched the screen long enough to see a bunch of teen boys and girls, wearing chicken hats for some bizarre reason, pecking at the ground and flapping their arms.

One of the contestants came up to the screen and squawked.

Ryan's dad sighed sadly and Ryan turned to look at him. "What is this shit?"

"_Total Drama Island_," his dad replied.

Ryan looked at the screen again, then back at his dad. "What is it with you and reality TV?"

No response.

Letting out a breath, Ryan fell to the red carpeting and leaned against the couch. Frowning, he looked up at his dad. Ever since Ryan's mom had left him and he'd had to pick up a job as the school principal in Cress, Chris had been really depressed. Chris had always wanted to be a reality TV show host.

Staring at him and blinking, Ryan wondered how much different life would be if Chris hadn't been turned down for his first TV debut. He was a washed out celebrity from an epic fail of a teen boy band. Knitting his eyebrows, Ryan looked at the TV screen and found himself feeling a prickle at seeing the blond haired blue eyed host.

_That should be my dad_... Ryan found himself thinking.

Chewing on his lip, Ryan could remember how messy the divorce had been: his mom was sick of Chris' reality show obsession and left him for some dude with big muscles. Ryan swore he'd never acknowledge the guy as his step dad.

"Dad?"

Chris looked at him.

"Where's Chef?" he asked. "I thought you'd be hanging with him today..."

"Chris is spending the day with _me_," called a female voice.

Grimacing, Ryan looked up. Blainely was here, leaning against the kitchen door. Behind her were the Terrible Two, her kids from a previous marriage: the perfect and blond Elaine and Eli. Elaine was constantly flirting with Ryan and Eli was preaching to him about how much he disapproved of Ryan's plans to win Heather back. Seeing them was enough to get Ryan back on his feet and back to the door.

"See ya!" he called.

"Be back home by 9!" Blainely called, but Ryan knew she really didn't give a crap. She was probably going to try to push the Terrible Two on him, too. She was just about to open her mouth again to do just that, but Ryan swooped right out, running out into the cold air.

Having nothing to do now, Ryan just continued walking, knowing that his main directive right now was to get as far away from _Blainely _as he could. No way was she going to be his step-mom. At least he hoped so...

"RYAN!" called Elaine's sing-song voice.

Cursing under his breath, Ryan broke off into a run.

He may be back from two terrible years at a private school and living with Grandma McClean a few towns away, but it was times like this that he wished he was back with her.

It was only Heather that had brought Ryan back to Cress. If he had his way, he'd be far, far away from Cress and living with Heather on a private island in complete isolation.


	5. Chapter 5

{5}

The water was dark, just like the night sky overhead. There was a sliver of crescent moon up in the sky, and the stars twinkled like individual diamonds in a jewelry box.

Kate found herself on a wooden gondola, looking out at the old and beautiful buildings of Venice, Italy. Some of them had lights on in the windows. For some reason, she was clutching to the curve of the prow, her arms and legs wrapped around it. The gondola kept rocking back and forth on the water, making Kate feel sick to her stomach since she kept glancing at the water. It was probably really cold and there had always been something about really deep water that scared her half to death.

Carefully, she placed a foot on the front base of the gondola, looking for a safer place to perch than her current position. Her attempts were thwarted by a dark silhouette.

Suddenly, the gondola entered a small patch of light and Kate saw two figures sitting in the main part of the gondola: Alejandro and Heather. Alejandro was holding an accordion, sitting on the edge next to Heather, who had her long, slender legs dipped in the water below. With a look of adoration on his face, Alejandro started to play the accordion and leaned in towards Heather.

She leaned back towards him and they stared at each other with shining eyes.

Apparently, Al knew how to play the accordion, because he was filling the air with a soft and solemn song. Mesmerized, Kate watched them, as their hair flew around their faces in the chilly night air and the gondola slowly kept moving forward. In the back of the gondola was the oarsman, slowly paddling them down the water.

The scene was tranquil, romantic, perfect. Despite her terrible perch, Kate felt like she was watching a romance movie. She smiled as Al and Heather murmured quietly to each other. Their faces were so close it looked like they were about to kiss...

Suddenly, the gondola stopped and Kate was hyper aware of the presence of the oarsman. Her heart started pounding in her chest and, not knowing why, Kate felt a heightened sense of urgency. Quickly, she swung herself around the prow and fell just inches away from hitting Alejandro. Scared, she started tugging on the sleeve of Al's shirt, watching hopelessly as the oarsman came into view.

There was the flash of a knife blade.

"ALEJANDRO!" Kate heard herself scream. "He's going after Heather!"

"Heather!" Alejandro cried not a moment later.

Kate backed up against the prow, watching as Al gathered a now motionless Heather into his arms. There was a big red bloom across her front and it was quickly spreading. Her eyelids were fluttering rapidly, like a pair of agitated butterfly wings.

"No..." Kate whispered.

Alejandro was sobbing silently, hugging Heather close.

Kate saw the figure clearly now: Jose loomed over Al and Heather, smiling evilly. Then his eyes flashed crimson-

-()-

Kate's eyelids flew open and she immediately turned on the light next to her bed.

Her bedroom flooded with light and she started breathing heavily, trying to calm herself down by telling herself over and over again that it was just a terrible nightmare. After five minutes, the nightmare was still playing in her head over and over like a terrible movie.

Next to her, she noticed her phone buzzing and picked it up. The phone said it was only 7 o' clock. When she scrolled through her text messages, Kate felt ripping her hair out when she remembered that she'd been randomly texting Courtney and then Courtney left a huffy text message around the time Kate had sailed off to sleep. The rest were an avalanche of texts from Leoni, who was using her guilt about Arnold as an excuse to act like Kate's BFF.

Kate rolled her eyes, but there was one text message that really caught her eye and made her heart stop...

Anon: Meet me outside. _Posted 2 minutes ago_.

Warily, Kate crept over to her window and pushed the curtains aside. The backyard was bathed in shadow and all she could really make out was the silhouette of the wooden shed. Then her view was blocked by a bigger, pitch black shape. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the figure raise its hand and knock on the window...

Fear washed over her, yet Kate inexplicably found herself reaching out and opening the window anyway. The figure leaned in closer and Kate could hear the beating of her heart echoing in her ears like ocean waves. As soon as the light from her bedside lamp hit the figure, Kate found herself suppressing a scream.

_It was Jose._

Nightmare fresh in her mind, Kate backpedaled towards her bed, scurried across the room, towards her bedroom door. She reached out for the door knob and briefly looked back at Jose, her eyes widening when she saw the pleading note in his intense green eyes.

More stunned than frightened now, Kate kept her hand hovering above the door knob and watched as he climbed all the way into the window.

"Is this Carlos' house?" Jose asked, trying to sound brave, but his face was giving him away.

"What's it to you?" Kate barked, feeling her previous anger towards him seep into her like lava. "If you know what's good for you, you'll climb right back out that window and _leave_..."

The hostility in her voice surprised her and Kate felt an overwhelming desire to rush at Jose and push him out the window herself. Of the two ex-boyfriends she had, he was the one she was the most furious at. Not just because he broke her heart, but because he was a complete asshole, too. At least Alejandro had some ounce of decency.

Jose glared at her and stomped across the expanse of her bedroom, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up until their faces were only inches apart. His hot breath fell on her face like a wave and Kate bitterly remembered the thrills it'd given her. Flooding with fury, Kate returned his subzero glare and tightened her grip on the doorknob.

"How dare you threaten me..." he grumbled.

"I'm not f***king scared of you!" she howled at him. "You f***king bastard! Get outta here before I kick your ass!"

Her profanity made Jose take a step back, his eyes briefly widening in shock. Taking advantage of his shock, Kate picked up a cardboard tube she had leaning against her wooden dresser and started hitting him with it. Over and over, she could feel a wave of insane anger and hysteria rising in her and she just kept striking at him. All the while she was flinging cuss words at him at the top of her lungs.

Every blow just infuriated Jose more. Eventually, he took Kate's cardboard tube and snapped it in half. He was blowing breath out of his nostrils and looked like he wanted to punch Kate; she looked back at him with the same kind of intensity, not backing down. The stare down lasted for an entire minute and then Jose's gaze...softened.

He casually ran a hand through his hair and smirked. "Damn, I didn't know you were so feisty!"

"Get out!" Kate reiterated. "Get the f*** out..."

"You sound so sexy when you cuss..." Jose shook his head and grinned. "No wonder I picked you over that ugly-ass nerd chick with glasses. Damn...damn..."

Suddenly, Kate's bedroom door flew open and Carlos stood there, looking absolutely furious as he huffed and puffed.

"Catalina, why in the sacred name of _Dios _were you just cussing like a sailor?" he demanded. "My baby sister is over! You're lucky Carmen got her out of the house-" Carlos' eyes widened when he saw Jose standing behind her.

"_Hola mi favorito hermano_," Jose said as if everything was right with the world. "I'm in a lot of deep _mierda _right now and...I need your help."

-Heather-

I lean against Alejandro's shoulder in the movie theater, snuggling into his arm and just barely paying attention to the movie.

Today's just been..._wonderful_. Even if we were walked in on at Carlos' and Carmen's house, I've gotten to spend the entire day with Al. We've been together all day with no interruptions from Ryan or anyone else and I just can't get over how much I missed this.

Gently, Al turns my face towards his and smiles. "The movie's almost over."

"Let's see another one?"

"Sounds goo-"

"AL! HEY AL!" a voice bellows across the theater.

Alejandro's pupils grow to the size of bowling balls and he urgently tugs at my wrist. Once we're both standing, Owen materializes out of nowhere with his crazy girlfriend sitting on top of his head and combing through his mop of blond hair. Dandruff central. Ew! Has he ever heard of _conditioner_?

"I didn't know _you_ were a fan of Star Wars!" Owen gasped. "I knew there was a reason you're my best friend!"

I can see Alejandro's eye twitching visibly out of the corner of my own.

"And you were back here in the make-out seats with Heather, huh?" Owen winks. "_Nicee_."

I can't blame Alejandro. Owen's irritating me, too. What I don't get is why he lets Owen bound up out of nowhere and pal around with him like they are best friends when it's obvious Al can't stand him. Everybody, except Owen apparently, seems to know that.

"Owen..." Al sighs and pinches his forehead with his thumb and forefinger.

"What's up, Al?" He smiles his trademark big and obnoxious smile.

"We're not friends, alright?" Al looks up at Owen, his eyes a pair of steaming coals. "We're nowhere near being best friends. We're not 'amigos' or 'compadres' or 'bros.' As a matter of fact, I can barely tolerate your presence and anything about you. I could care less what your favorite color is or anything-"

What Alejandro doesn't realize is that Owen was busy pilfering our bag of popcorn and helping himself to huge handfuls of it. I'm getting pretty irritated with the Dandruff Monster Glutton myself. Gritting my teeth, I swipe the bag away from him and glare.

"Beat it!" I snap at him.

"Sorry...The popcorn just looked so nummy!" Owen licks his yellow, buttery fingers. I can barely stand it and things just get that much worse when Izzy ducks over his shoulder and joins in on the act of licking his fingers. These freaks are definitely the perfect match for each other. Ugh! Grody.

"You're so disgusting!" Alejandro and I yell at the same time.

Owen looks up, blinks.

Alejandro lets out an exasperated sigh, grabs my hand and I'm more than happy to follow him out of the theater and into the golden light of the foyer. We march to the front door and he looks like he swallowed a handful of sharp nails.

There's people waiting at the treats counter and the air is unnervingly silent except for the sound of popping pop corn. Alejandro stops next to a poster of an upcoming movie. He's breathing hard, sucking air in and out of his nostrils as he tries to calm down. Apparently, Owen knows how to strike exactly the right nerve to make Alejandro absolutely furious; calling him "Al" out loud is the surefire trick to pissing him off.

Not knowing what to do, I reach up towards his shoulders and start rubbing them. It's weird, but I know Bart calms down after a good rub down. Maybe Alejandro does, too?

Alejandro starts to smile and takes a deep breath. I'm smiling a little too when he reaches up and covers my hands with his.

"He irritates me so much..." Alejandro grumbles, frowning again.

"I know..."

"_Malditos_!" he continues. "He's stuck to me like glue. I can't stand him, yet...he has been of help to me in the past. Those pungent farts of his are quite a lethal weapon."

Al, I love you, but you freak me out sometimes. "You're pretending to be friends with him...for his farts?"

"I'm not sure it is worth the effort any-"Alejandro's eyes widen and he pulls his hands away from mine.

He's looking at the crowd exiting one of the movie theaters. I don't get what's going on with him until a girl with long black hair comes running up out of the crowd towards us.

"Alejandro!" she cries, her dark eyes sparkling. "Is that you?"

She looks him up and down, her lips spreading into a smile. And I'm getting ready to club her with something if she doesn't stop sizing up _my _man.

"Hey! Is this your new girlfriend?" She looks at me, extends her hand. "Hi, I'm Mercedes. Alejandro's cousin."

Oh God, I feel so stupid now.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Heather," I replied, taking her hand and awkwardly shaking it.

"I just came in to town this weekend," Mercedes said with a grin. "Tried finding you at your house, but you weren't there. And I just _had _to see...Oh my God...he's so hot!" She tugs on my arm until I'm forced to look where she's looking.

Then she starts pointing with her index finger, over and over. She's pointing at...Noah? Definitely not the guy I'd call 'hot', but to each their own, I guess.

"Who is he?" she squealed.

"Noah."

"Introduce me to him!" she begs, pulling out the puppy eyes.

"Mercedes," Alejandro said in a warning tone.

She snaps around to look at him, rolling her eyes as he gives her a severe look. Blowing him a raspberry, she runs off and leaves us alone, looking at her as she runs off.

"She's charming," I said flatly.

"I feel sorry for him," Alejandro said, pointing at Noah. "She's _obsessive_ with her boyfriends..."


	6. Chapter 6

{6}

"Come on, LaShawna!" Harold yelled, beckoning to her.

Breathing hard, LaShawna quickly swung onto the motorcycle as Harold clambered onto it. Quickly, he fumbled with the keys and started it up with a loud roar. They took off, the sound making LaShawna want to clap her hands over her ears, but she reached forward and wrapped her arms around Harold's waist, clinging on for dear life. Her pony tail whipped behind her like a flag in the wind.

"Do you even know how to drive this thing?" she screamed over the loud, rushing wind.

"A little bit!" Harold yelled back. "But I'll figure it out!"

"Are you freaking _crazy_?"

Before he could answer, LaShawna's eyes widened as a bullet zipped past, just inches from her ear. Her heart started beating crazily in her chest, adrenaline rushing and boiling. Feverishly, she gripped the sleeve of Harold's shirt.

"Go faster! GO FASTER!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Harold complied and the motorcycle roared again.

They burst out onto Main Street, running a red light. From the wind howling around them like a crazed banshee, LaShawna was sure the motorcycle was chugging at an insanely fast speed. Tears were prickling at the backs of her eyes and she could feel gravity threatening to pluck her right off of the bike. In sheer desperation, she clutched Harold tighter.

Harold and LaShawna were being pursued by a group of men and women in brown and black leather jackets. They were riding motorcycles as well and a few were coming up alongside Harold's. Any moment now, they were going to surround Harold's stolen motorbike. Then, who knew what they were going to do? These guys were gang members from a big city, with guns and the whole nine yards. What LaShawna didn't get was what these guys would want with _Harold _of all people...

The inevitable came. A motorbike streamed in front of them and they were surrounded on all sides. LaShawna could feel all of them glaring. Harold, usually extremely confident, was shaking violently with fear as they were forced around a bend and then ended up in front of a ratty looking bar on the shady end of town. The gang members parked their bikes and then, tentatively, with all of them watching like scientists watching a specimen under a microscope, Harold parked the bike. As it powered down, LaShawna could feel her fear rising.

A woman started walking over to them, her hands on her hips. She had short reddish brown hair in a pixie, was wearing fingerless gloves, and a pair of sunglasses that successfully hid her eyes from far away. When she reached Harold and LaShawna, she took her hands off of her hips and plunged them into her jeans pockets.

"Okay," she said. "I'm not in the mood for a fight. Are you?"

Harold and LaShawna nervously shook their heads. Trembling, LaShawna was surprised when Harold pushed her behind him and held out his arms in a defensive gesture, his eyes narrowed at the woman. He was being uncharacteristically silent, and for that LaShawna was thankful.

"I'm lookin' for information," the woman said outright. "Do you know somebody named Arnold Turner?"

_Harold's best friend_. LaShawna looked over at Harold with wide eyes and he was looking back at her, his own eyes wide. With false bravery, Harold turned towards the woman:

"What's it to you?"

"None of your business," she replied harshly. "And don't think I didn't notice that look you two were sharin'. You _know_ this kid. Start talking!"

Harold narrowed his eyes. "I'm not telling you _anything_!"

Behind him, LaShawna wanted to strangle him out of her intense fear, but she also started looking for something that she could use as a weapon. At a casual pace, the woman sauntered over towards them and Harold slid into a defensive stance for some martial arts form that he knew. When the woman was close enough, LaShawna leaned against the motorcycle behind her, blinking rapidly over and over again.

Standing over them, the woman grinned grimly at Harold's stance then lashed out at him with a kick directed at his solar plexus. She hit home with her target before Harold could successfully react and he crumpled to the ground, clutching at his stomach. LaShawna looked at him, gaping like a fish out of water.

Her fury rising, LaShawna ran towards the woman and tried to land a punch on her chin, but the woman easily dodged it with one hand. Again, LaShawna tried to punch with her other hand, but the woman dodged that one, too. When she looked down at LaShawna, LaShawna could see a pair of cold, calculating eyes behind the sunglasses.

"Do I really have to kick your ass?" she asked. "Just tell me what I wanna know and I'll leave you alone."

LaShawna felt herself burst with resistance. Grunting, she pulled her hands out of the woman's blocking grip and then backed up, getting ready to strike again. Using a gesture she saw Harold use once, she watched the woman's mouth twitch slightly. Cautiously, the woman walked forward, planting the heel of her boot in the dirt, then she flexed her fingers.

Without warning, LaShawna saw a punch flying at her and just barely dodged it. The woman was open, so LaShawna launched a punch at her rib cage and watched as the woman grunted slightly, but remained on her feet. Then she grabbed LaShawna's wrist in an iron grip and squeezed it, pulling her up off the ground. Next thing she knew, LaShawna found the barrels of several guns being pointed at her and she could feel the tension that at any given second, the triggers would be pulled.

She started breathing hard and looked at the woman with wide eyes.

"I told you," she snarled.

Another second passed and LaShawna looked at all of the fierce, grizzled faces staring up at her. Most of the gang members here were men, but there were a few women too, but they all looked equally intimidating, like they'd all seen their fair share of fights. The seconds kept passing and LaShawna could feel herself start to sweat profusely. Frightened, she looked down at Harold and he shot a look back at her, his eyes a pair of wide marbles.

"Just. Tell. Me," the woman said, looking at LaShawna. "I really don't wanna do this."

With more bravery than she felt, LaShawna hissed, "You can threaten me all you want to, but I'm not giving up information about an innocent kid just so you can hurt him!"

Before the woman could give a reply, there was the sound of a gun shot. LaShawna, Harold, and the woman turned to see one of the men lying on the ground, another guy standing over him, twirling his gun. "_Asshole_!" the woman screamed at him as soon as she saw the newcomer.

Instantly, she released LaShawna and she, along with all of the other gang members, raced towards the newcomer like a huge swarm of ants. LaShawna barely noticed landing on her rear as she watched the unfolding scene with wide, surprised eyes.

The new guy was wading through the enemies as if they were nothing. One person fell to the ground, another yelped, clutching at her wrist. Of course, it looked like quite a few punches were connecting with the guy and a few gun shots fired off, but somehow, at least the aim of the bullets was swung in another direction. Somewhere in the middle of the fight, the newcomer broke through and started savagely hitting people with the butt of a gun, kicking crotches, as many underhanded moves as he could accomplish. Eventually, he knocked a few guys unconscious.

Despite the huge number of enemies, he seemed to be fending them off, but with a high level of difficulty.

Soon enough, the fight became too much for him and he raced towards Harold and LaShawna as fast as his legs could go. Face to face, LaShawna noticed that he had pale green eyes.

"Give me the damn keys!" he yelled at her.

Stunned, LaShawna handed them over and quickly grabbed Harold. She watched as the new guy slung his tall, muscular frame onto the motorcycle and then quickly swung on behind him. Somehow, she fit Harold in-between them and then grabbed at his muscular chest just as he started up the motorcycle and took off.

With one last look over her shoulder, LaShawna saw their pursuers scrambling towards their own motorcycles. Apparently, their rescuer was aware that he was going to be chased, so he gunned the motorcycle and took off faster, cutting onto a side street.

The city rushed by in a giant blur as they went on a strangely circuitous and confusing route. Several times, the guy darted around stop signs with very brisk and brief signals, and just barely went through lights before they turned red. He was going so fast, LaShawna found herself fearing for her life as she desperately clung to him. And the fact that Harold was just barely staying on in-between them made the situation that much worse; she was worrying about him falling off the entire time.

Finally, after what felt like a way-too-long roller coaster, the motorcycle stopped and the guy dismounted. Poor Harold fell off like a limp rag doll and LaShawna quickly got off after him, helping him get back to his feet.

Now that all of the commotion was over, LaShawna was able to get a closer look at the stranger that had just...saved them? She wasn't sure if he'd really come to their aid or not, so she was keeping herself on high alert. Next to her, she could see the wary look on Harold's face, too, but he had reason to look kind of miffed after being squished like baloney on a sandwich for two or three odd miles.

The guy was over six feet tall with broad shoulders, muscled arms, short brown hair, and bronzed skin. He wore a tight black T-shirt that showed off his muscles, black jeans, and a pair of black Converse. In a strange way, he looked kind of familiar, but not exactly.

She noticed that he'd parked the motorcycle in front of a small white two-story house. A small gray minivan was parked out front on the driveway with a red rustbucket truck next to it.

"Just so you know, this is my brother Carlos' house," the stranger told LaShawna. "I'm guessing you know the little shit Alejandro? Carlos is his older brother, okay? Go...hide in there and I'll take care of those bastards that were chasing you."

LaShawna furrowed her brows while Harold stood all the way up and extended his hand. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Harold-"

The stranger batted Harold's hand away. "Yeah, you don't wanna get to know me."

Harold was baffled.

"Name's Jose. Sound familiar?"

The name instantly struck a chord with Harold. He started glaring at Jose, even went as far as raising his hand and flipping him the bird. LaShawna stood there and was caught in between whether or not to give him the same gesture herself. Yeah, Kate had caused a little bit of drama between her and Harold, but she'd been extremely apologetic and in light of her friendship with Harold and how miserable Harold had been had easily cleared things up. What Kate had done was nothing in comparison to what Jose had done to her.

Jose was completely unaffected by Harold's gesture; he just laughed.

"Now _that's_ the reception I was expecting!" he howled. "Bye bastards!"

Jose took off on the motorcycle, leaving Harold standing there, blinking and confused. Just as confused as he was, LaShawna grabbed his arm and started walking up to the front door of the Burromuerto house. Barely two steps up the front walk, the front door flew open and another unfamiliar Burromuerto ran up the walk towards them, a redhaired woman behind him.

"Was that Jose?" he asked Harold and Harold nodded.

"Please, come in," the redhead urged them, waving towards the front door. "I'm Carmen. And he's Carlos. We'll explain what we know once you're both inside."

Kate sat at a table in the kitchen next to Carmen. They were holding hands while Carlos looked worriedly at the still shell shocked Harold and LaShawna. Carlos sighed heavily, running a hand across his face. He looked ten years older than he really was.

"Can I get you two anything?" he asked.

"I just wanna know what the hell just happened!" LaShawna replied, smacking the table. "It's not every day you get attacked by random gang members that don't normally live in a small town!"

"For one thing, that wasn't a gang," Carlos replied, his brow knitted. "The people you encountered were a team of...trained body guards of sorts. Apparently, my little brother got mixed up with a drug lord that knows what he's doing. I...hate to ask you this, but do you know where Jose went?"

"He said he was going to lead them away, I guess," LaShawna replied, her heart wrenching at the concerned look on Carlos' face. How such a kind, polite guy could be related to an obnoxious pair like Jose and Alejandro completely eluded LaShawna. She felt really bad for him having to put up with this.

"Those 'body guards' are after my best friend Arnold!" Harold spoke up, looking angry.

Kate's eyes widened and she gasped. "A-Arnold?"

"Oh, God..." Carmen murmured next to her.

"Arnold...?" Carlos furrowed his brows. "That answers my question as to why Jose dropped you off here. He mentioned that they'd be chasing people other than just him..."

"Who else are they chasing?" LaShawna asked, dreading the thought of somebody else having to go through what they just did.

"I...don't know," he replied grimly.

"We can't let them know where Arnold is!" Kate cried, eyes glittering with tears.

"Kate, it's okay," Carmen tried to soothe.

Kate wrenched away and stood up, clenching her fists at her sides. "I know Jose's your brother, Carlos, but I _have _to say this! If Jose's involved, then it's not just Arnold at risk. Al and Heather are in danger, too. Jose may be playing the good guy, but you can't trust that bastard..."

"KATE!" Carlos' eyes flashed.

"Quit defending him, Carlos," Kate said in a cold voice.

"He _did _just save Harold and I!" LaShawna interjected.

"I'm with Kate on this one," Harold spoke up again.

The situation was getting weirder by the second. Bewildered, LaShawna looked over at Carlos, who was glaring at Kate. She was glaring back and Carmen, in-between them, was preparing to play mediator.

"He's your family, too, Catalina Hernandez!" Carlos growled. "If a family member asks for help then it's our duty to help them out! Blood is thicker than water."

"He's _not _my family," Kate growled back. "He's a bastard, Carlos. A complete asshole. I'm not getting duped by him again. I'm telling Alejandro about his return _today_."

"You're lucky I'm letting you live in this house," Carlos grumbled. "My house. My rules."

"I'll just move back in with Dad," Kate replied, narrowing her eyes.

"Kate! No!" Carmen shook her head. "Oh...no. You can't!"

"I can and I _will_," Kate said in a steely voice. "I'd rather live with Dad than in the same house as _Jose._"

With that, she left the room, Harold following her. Rattled and unnerved, LaShawna followed them out of the room. As she left, she peered over her shoulder and saw Carlos burying his face in his hands while Carmen ran over to try to comfort him, tears running out of her eyes.

-Alejandro-

Ryan's in for quite a surprise and I just couldn't resist being here to see what his reaction would be.

Heather and I are near the back of the restaurant-not exactly incognito, but far enough away that we won't be the first people Ryan sees. Across the room, Sierra is sitting at a table by herself with her hair in a bizarre knot, wearing a lime green dress. She looks surprisingly sophisticated as she sits there, her legs crossed and waiting patiently for Ryan to show up.

"I didn't know she could be almost...normal," Heather whispered next to me.

I nod and that's when the door opens. The one unaccounted for variable shows up, wearing a tux and carrying a huge bouquet of lilacs. This is beginning to unfold like some sort of bizarre soap opera. I look over at Heather and she raises her eyebrows and just shrugs. We both continue watching.

If Sierra ends up going back to Cody, I can only hope that Ryan ends up tripping or getting spaghetti sauce all over himself. Actually, I _know _that both of those events are going to occur because I'll be the one to instigate them.

Cody wanders over to Sierra, looking like a lost puppy. He holds out his gifts to her, but she just turns away from him, turning her nose up to the air and folding her arms. Over and over, it looks like he's begging with her. Pleading. In the end, he gets her to look at him with watering eyes and that just seals the deal. Before Ryan even shows up, his blind date is already getting all of her dreams to come true with the suitor she was trying to make jealous.

It kind of touches me and I smile a little bit.

"Our plan's failing...why are you _smiling_?" Heather asks, looking at me.

That's when the restaurant door opens and the last person I expect to see is standing there. She looks around and I realize she's spotted us. Kate starts marching across the restaurant and Cody's attention is drawn away from Sierra. He starts following Kate and Sierra looks absolutely crushed.

Kate gets to our table and looks at me seriously, places the palms of her hands on the table top.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your date, Alejandro, but there's something-"

She's interrupted by Cody coming up and staring at her with big, glassy eyes. "Hi Kate..."

"Hello?" She looks flustered.

"I's me! Cody! From math class...," he said, as if in a stupor.

"Stay away from _my man_!" Sierra howls, grabbing Kate by the back of her shirt.

Sierra spins Kate around and then slaps her. With wide eyes, Kate looks at her, shocked and unbelieving as she reaches up to touch her stinging cheek. "What...w-what...?"

Again, Sierra howls and grabs Kate's shoulders, slamming her to the ground and pinning her there by her shoulders. Kate looks up at her, totally confused and bewildered. I'm just as confused. Next to me, Heather's watching all of this with an unreadable expression on her face.

"What's going on?" Kate cries, trying to get out of Sierra's pin.

"Sierra!" Cody complains, trying to pull her off of Kate. "SIERRA!"

"Home wrecker!" Sierra howls in Kate's face.

Kate looks up at me with pleading eyes. "Can you help me out here, Alejandro? _**Please?**_"

I stand up and reach out towards Sierra, easily pulling her off of Kate. Then I put her down, pushing her until she's sitting in a booth. Holding my hand out, I pull Kate to her feet and then sit back down next to Heather, folding my arms. For some strange reason, everybody's looking at _me _now. Of course, _I_ have to be the one to solve the problem.

When I don't do something right away, Kate turns and looks warily at Sierra. "What was that about?"

"You're trying to steal my Cody," she replies, glaring.

Kate sighs heavily. "No, I'm here to tell Alejandro and Heather something. I didn't even know Cody was here. I had no idea you two were on a date...Wait. Why in the world would I want to steal your frigging boyfriend?"

"I'm not her boyfriend!" Cody squawks.

"You're wearing a tux," Heather cuts in cryptically. "You gave her flowers and chocolate, Cody. That's what a boyfriend does."

Cody frowns. "No...I was just bringing those in for somebody else. Sierra wouldn't listen to me and when I tried to explain, she wouldn't listen-"

"Lilacs," Heather says.

"Yeah, the flowers are lilacs," Cody says, looking kind of irritated.

Heather and I look at each other and get up, walk towards the exit door. Ryan's figured out the charade. Before I can take another step, Kate grabs my wrist and pulls me back. When I try to break away, she tightens her grip.

"I can't blame you for not wanting to stick around," she said. "But I have something important I need to tell you and Heather. _Now_."

I pull my hand away. "Can you not tell me later?"

"Jose's back in town," Kate says, her words dropping like stones.

I lower my hand and stand there, staring at her. She looks dead serious, her eyes glinting like steel. Next to me, Heather's stopped in her tracks, too. I look at her and she looks back. Then we both look at Kate. "Where is he?"

"Kate...?" Cody looks at her, and Sierra's glare follows.

Kate groans and looks at him. "I'm sorry, Cody, but this'll have to wait."

"What? Your secret love affair?" Sierra interjects.

Kate groans louder and throws her arms up. "There is no secret love affair! Cody asked me out once and I told him I'd think about it, okay? I barely know the guy! Whatever problem you guys are having...figure it out yourselves!"

She stalks off toward the exit door and we follow her out in the alley. It's cold outside, but it's better out here than in the restaurant with the two quarreling love birds. I pull Heather close and wrap my arms around her and she leans against me, smiling. For a second, I sigh and play with her hair, enjoying her presence-

"Get a room!" Kate cries.

We both look at her and she sighs, burying her hands in her hair.

"I had a rough day," she replies. "Anyways, Jose's back and he's at-"

"Hello _Heather_," a voice interrupts.

Ryan walks up out of the shadows, wearing a tux, a hand in his pocket. He looks furious. My first impulse is to run up and punch him in the face, but Kate beats me to it. Surprisingly, Ryan crumples to the ground, clutching at his chin and groaning in pain.

"Can your f**king dating problems wait a minute?" she screams at him.

I've never seen Kate so ferocious before, or heard that word come out of her mouth. Heather looks up at me, just as shocked and surprised as I am.

Ryan climbs to his feet and glares at her. "What's your f**cking problem, you bitch?"

"There's a guy out that wants to hurt Alejandro and Heather!" she barks back at him. "I'm trying to frigging tell them about it!"

"Somebody's...trying to hurt Heather?" Ryan looks surprised.

"Yeah...now shut up and let me talk."


	7. Chapter 7

{7}

Mercedes laughed, a high and melodious sound.

Then she nestled back into the crook of Noah's arm and was silent again. Briefly, he looked up from his book at her. She had long black hair, was skinny, and had sparkling light green eyes. Normally, Noah didn't really have an intense interest in dating, but Mercedes had just shown up out of the blue and she shared his interest in books. The connection had been almost instant; after only a day of really meeting each other for the first time, Noah was officially calling her his girlfriend.

It felt pretty nice to have one for once and have an excuse not to spend Friday nights at home.

Mercedes turned away from her book and leaned towards him, tilting his face towards her. Without waiting for a reaction, she leaned in and kissed Noah tenderly on the lips. When she pulled away, he smiled at her and she smiled pleasantly back.

Elaine sighed heavily, sitting on the edge of her bed and crossing her knees. Smiling sheepishly, Jose crawled out from underneath her bed. Then he stood up and sat down next to her, running his hands through his short, now grimy hair; he smelled like trash since he'd been hiding out in a dumpster for the duration of the past day. He seemed to be hiding from everything lately, a very peculiar situation for somebody like him.

"You're lucky my mom's busy trying to f**k Chris and Eli's busy with doing the same with his fugly girlfriend," Elaine griped. "You're getting pretty pathetic, Jose."

"You f**ked Ryan while I was gone," Jose replied. "That little stringbean, _chica_? Seriously? You can do so much better...Or can you?"

Elaine tossed her long blond hair in a huff. "At least _he _has a more pleasant smell! You smell like twenty cats just pissed on you!"

"Well excuse me for not carrying around cologne," Jose muttered.

"Ryan pretty much dumped me as soon as he saw Heather again anyway," she replied bitterly.

"You still have me," Jose replied. He actually looked vulnerable, his eyebrows raised and a hopeful smile on his face; he looked just like Alejandro did when he was in one of his 'tender moments' with Heather. It made Elaine want to barf.

She reached down and pulled off one of her thigh high boots, catching the mischievous twinkle in Jose's eyes. Ever since she'd first met him, Elaine knew that Jose was an animal. Their relationship was pretty open ended, to account for Jose's womanizing appetite, but somehow he'd always been faithful. Somehow, she was the girl he'd first 'done it' with and he'd told her that he eventually wanted to get married...

He was so confusing. One minute he was obsessed with thwarting Alejandro, the next he was obsessed with her. Soon, though, she was never going to have to put up with him again. After not hearing from him for so long, Elaine had found a better offer. She thrust her ankle into Jose's face, twirling it around so that he could get a good look at the green snake tattoo etched there. As soon as he saw it, he visibly cringed and scooted as far away from her as he could get.

"I'm done with you," Elaine said coldly, shooting a smirk at him. "I've found a much better offer and this one actually _pays_..."

"Elaine!" Jose's voice was a squeak. "You don't know what you're getting involved with-"

"Save the bull shit, you cheap bastard!" she snipped at him.

"I was never safe here..." Jose started pulling at his hair.

"They're outside," Elaine hissed, her eyes a pair of daggers. "Waiting. You're dead, _Jose Burromuerto_."

-Alejandro-

Carlos is a complete nervous wreck. He's bitten all of his nails down to the quick, has huge bags under his eyes, and his face is so red and raw. Even Carmen-_el amor de su vida_-can't seem to calm him or soothe him in any way. Despite how rotten to the core Jose is, Carlos is worried sick about him.

It's Thursday and in two minutes, I'll officially be late for school, but I can't leave Carlos like this. Carmen has to get to her job at the local graphic design lab, Kate's still mad at Carlos and stormed off to school, Mama's busy with Pilar, and Dad's working late at his part time job at the cafe today. Carmen hovers towards the door, fingering her long red overcoat and casting a glance at Carlos, then looks up at me. Her eyes are full of unspoken despair and worry, ringed by purplish bags. Wearily, I smile back at her as reassuringly as I can and she takes her leave.

My own insides are twisted up in a pretzel of knots. I couldn't sleep at all last night, haunted by thoughts of what Jose might be up to. _Dios_, he'll want a monstrous revenge on me and I feel like a huge, inevitable tidal wave is looming over me. Trying to keep myself in check, I pull my cell phone out of my pocket. Of course, Heather's left me a text message.

Heather U okay? M wrried about u. Ur not skool. Y?

I smile a little bit at the blatant misspellings; she must have been in a rush. Quickly, I compose a reply to her and just as I'm putting my phone away, Carlos looks up at me, looking so run down. He looks so miserable and it wrenches at my heart.

"Alejandro...did Carmen make it to work?" he asks.

I wander over and plop into the chair next to him. "_Si._"

"Where's Catalina?" Carlos asks in a weak voice. "She won't talk to me. I...Is Jose back yet? Where's Jose...?"

He's been asking the same questions over and over again. Frowning, I reach out and take his hand and squeeze it. A few moments pass and he looks at me, trying so hard to smile.

"I'm okay. _Estoy bien_, Alejandro. Really..."

"No, you're not," I tell him with utter conviction in my voice.

Carlos slides his hand out of mine and then pushes his chair out and stands up. His knees are shaking as he spreads his arms wide. Then he tap dances, pretending to wield a hat and cane, twists in a small circle and even gives a little bow. When he sits back down, he even manages a wide smile. He knows I've been in a rough patch with the whole Ryan thing, so he's trying to play down his own problems, but..._Dios_, Carlos.

"See?" he insists, smiling wider until he looks like the equivalent of a mule.

"Go up to bed and sleep," I command. For emphasis, I lean towards him wearing my steeliest stare. He blinks and looks at me blankly.

"I don't need sleep!" he insists.

Never before have I seen Carlos so petulant and stubborn. Right now, he reminds me of how Pilar behaves when she has a fever and wants to go to the movies: she insists that she's fine when she's not and won't comply when I try to get her to go to bed. Something in me snaps. If Carlos wants to act this way, I have no choice.

"You need to sleep, Carlos!" I tell him. "You're a complete mess-"

"I can't sleep, Alejandro!" he wails, his eyes wild. "I can't eat. I can't do anything. My little brother's in trouble and he came to me for help." Carlos looks like he wants to cry, but he's been weeping so much, his tears have dried up. "Jose _never _comes to me for help. He really is in trouble, Alejandro. I could see it in his eyes. We both know how deceptive and devious he is, but Jose really-"

"Jose's playing you!" I scream, something snapping. "Quit worrying on his behalf! He's a bastard, Carlos. You might care about him, but he doesn't give a _mierda _about you!"

We're both silent. The air is so heavy between us, it feels like a heavy lead block. For a second, Carlos looks at me with wide, wavering eyes, lips trembling. Then he shakes his head, raking his shaking fingers through it. He looks so terrible, it's breaking my heart. And I feel like the scum of the earth for worsening his grief, but I know it's the truth.

Carlos takes a few heaving breaths, then looks at me with eyes like steel. There's so much seriousness in his stare, I can feel my bones ache and a darkness well up in my chest.

"That's not the truth and you know it," Carlos replies, his words dropping like heavy stones. "Somewhere deep in your heart, you know that's not true. Jose isn't perfect, but neither are you. Neither am I. You heard about Jose's situation from somebody who hates him as much as you do, but if you'd been there when he told me..."

"We were in the bedroom I share with Carmen. As soon as we were alone, I watched Jose's exterior peel away like the skin of an orange. He looked so vulnerable, his eyes full of absolute terror. Like a small child. A small child in mortal terror. I know he can pull certain facial expressions, feign emotions, but, like you, I can tell when he does it. He wasn't doing it here.

He told me he was being pursued by a gang called _Los Diablos_, The Devils. He was masquerading as the leader, but he's really not; he owes a huge debt to the true leader. Apparently, he almost jeopardized their operation and they want him...dead. The entire time he was describing this, his voice broke several times and he looked like he was about to cry. It broke my heart to see him so terrified and he asked me to hide him. To conceal him. Not only that, but he mentioned that the gang wasn't only after him. They want others, too. The others don't know about this, Alejandro, but...

He mentioned you as a specific target of the gang..."

Carlos sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed in his room. In front of him, Jose looked like a wreck, his eyes glittering with tears. Over and over, he kept swiping at his face with the sleeve of his shirt, trying to hide his weakness. Without asking, Carlos got down on the floor and crawled over towards Jose. Feeling his heart beating like a congo drum in his chest, Carlos opened his arms and looked earnestly at his younger brother.

Sniffing, Jose looked at him and Carlos smiled encouragingly at him, trying to quell the huge ball of knots in his stomach. Carlos knew it was stupid to be offering to hug Jose, since Jose was a tough guy type and liked to preserve his pride. That was when Jose crept over and threw his arms around Carlos, placing his head on Carlos' shoulder like he'd done when he was two-years-old and scared of the dark.

Even if he was pretending, Jose would never go as far as accepting Carlos' offer for a hug. Jose pulled away after a minute, shoulders heaving as he shook from head to foot.

"Alejandro's one of the targets," Jose said, his eyes wide and shiny. "Al...That little shit..."

He subsided into a bunch of muttered cursing, but Carlos could see the visible fear on his face, the way his eye was twitching. Somehow, Carlos could tell that Jose was scared most about The Devils getting to Alejandro. Nervously, he shot a look at Carlos. Then he looked down at his feet again and started muttering a bunch cuss words again.

Carlos looks like he was remembering something. When he looks up at me, I'm still unconvinced. Carlos opens his mouth to try to say something more, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand. Feeling ridiculous, furious, weary, tired, and a bunch of other things, I round the table and grab Carlos' wrist and pull him up out of his chair. When he tries to protest, I yank on his wrist harder.

I forcefully pull him up the stairs, to his bedroom and then push him onto his bed. He's glaring up at me, the same glare Pilar shoots at me when she's annoyed.

"Alejandro-"

"_You_ need to sleep," I tell him for the millionth time. "Stop pretending you don't. Quit trying to be Superman, Carlos. You were just giving me a spiel about how nobody's perfect? You're being a hypocrite if you don't get some sleep."

Carlos continues to glare. Then his gaze softens and he kicks off his shoes, crawls under the bed covers and sighs. For the first time today, the relief on his face looks genuine and I can feel my burden becoming a bit lighter when he closes his eyes.

"Alejandro?" he asks, eyes still closed. "Could you sing me that lullaby I heard Mama sing to Pilar? The one you came up with especially for her?"

The request is strange and I can feel myself blushing out of embarrassment even though nobody else is here in the room. Hoping he'll drop it, I just stand there silently. The silence grows thick and after a minute, I'm pretty sure he's asleep. That's when I turn to head out of the room-

"Alejandro...?"

Damn.

"Please...I'm asking you as your oldest _hermano_," he begs. "_Por favor? _I can never get it right and I want to be able to sing it to Pilar. Maybe even my own first little _niña_. Maybe even use it to serenade Carmen?"

Carlos knows exactly how to get what he wants when he wants to.

"Alright," I groan, sighing heavily. "This isn't for you, just so you know. It's for Pilar and my future niece."

"I know," he says with an annoying little smile.

Taking a deep breath, I look up at the window overlooking Carlos' neighborhood. The sky is shrouded in dark clouds and sheets of gray rain are falling. For some reason, this dismal weather is extremely fitting. Soft sounds of pattering rain fill the quiet rain and I close my eyes, letting the silence seep in.

Despite the series of tumultuous events that have been happening, I find myself breathing easier now, feeling a strange sense of calm and tranquility wash over me.

It's easy to imagine a huge field of snow white flowers sashaying in the breeze, a pale blue sky. Some cheesy scene out of a romance movie. I can see Heather's smiling face, see strands of her hair flying lightly around her head like an angel's halo. _Mi ángel_.

It's strange to hear the peaceful silence broken by my voice, singing:

_If heaven exists, you must be an angel, _

_You're an unexpected miracle that came into my life_

_And it's happier because you're here with me_

_I can't possibly imagine anything without you around, _

_You're in every dream I have and I love to dream because of that, _

_Reality's become sweeter because you're around, too_

_It's almost as sweet as the sweetest dream I could have_

_If only I could hold you in my arms everyday, _

_Spend all of eternity looking into your shining eyes, _

_Feel myself brimming over with love, _

_A flame that burns and flourishes _

_If heaven exists, you must be an angel, _

_You're an unexpected miracle that came into my life_

_And it's happier because you're here with me_

As soon as I stop singing, I can hear Carlos snoring lightly. The rain's still coming down and I feel such a huge surge of calm and tranquility, I want to sleep, too. Stretching, I stand up and leave Carlos, walking down the hall to one of the three guest rooms. There's a single bed there and I kick off my own shoes, take off my shirt, settle under the covers and then start taking a short _siesta _myself...

-Heather-

It feels kinda weird being at school without Alejandro here. Like I'm butt naked.

It really seems like he's livin' la vida loca lately after hearing what Kate had to dish out. Jose's just an endless problem it seems like. I can't believe I actually went out with that loser; I don't know why I got to know him at all. He's a sleaze and an asshole and this is coming from somebody who's been called "shallower than a kiddie pool." Now Al's at home tending to his older brother, who apparently is a mental wreck right now.

I'm worried about Al, but I'm also worried about dealing with Ryan by myself. Ryan was there last night when he heard about the sitch, but he could give less than a shit about Alejandro. I know exactly what he'll be trying to pull.

I'm so anxious that I'm almost tempted to bite my nails, a nasty habit I haven't done since fourth grade...

"Are you okay, Heather?" Beth asked, clutching at her boyfriend Eli's arm. He's looking at me with the same concerned expression Beth has on her face.

"Yeah," I replied, standing up straighter to ward off any more questions.

"Where's Alexander?" Lindsay asked, looking at me.

"_Alejandro_," I corrected her. "He's home sick."

Lindsay shrugs and goes back to avidly discussing the latest basketball game with Tyler. He keeps flexing his muscles and smiling while she smiles and chats up his ego. Tyler's the worst player on every sports team he's ever been on, but Ty and Linds have been together since freshman year. I can't help smiling when I remember overhearing Tyler telling somebody that he plans on proposing to Lindsay at prom this year. It's so sweet and touching. Every time I see them together now, I can't help remembering that!

"Heather..." Beth tapped my shoulder. "There's somebody at your locker."

My stomach drops. As soon as I look in the direction of my locker, I see _him _standing there. Of course he looks up, right at me, right at my face. I feel like a helpless butterfly being pinned to a board for some nerd's collection.

First instinct is to walk away and hide, but I'm so damn sick of doing that. For the past few days, I've just barely been able to dodge around Ryan, but then again, Alejandro was here helping me with that. I'd feel so much better with him here, but it's time for Ryan to get the boot. And I'm gonna do that today. No more beating around the freaking bush.

Clenching my fists, I march right up to Ryan and when I reach my locker, I fold my arms and glare at him. He just smiles back at me.

"Hello Heather," he said. "Where's Jose Roses?"

I rolled my eyes. "His name's _Alejandro_."

"I like Jose Roses better." He chuckles as if he made a funny joke.

"I'd like for you to _back off_," I said in my coldest tone of voice. "Go away. _Get lost_."

"Is Jose Roses' nookie really _that good_?" There was a sneer on Ryan's face now. "And don't give me shit that you two haven't done it. The only reason Jose's with you is because he can tap your hot bod!"

Ryan folded his shoulders back and snorted in a breath.

"Who's Jose Roses and what's 'nookie'? Is that some kind of cookie?" Lindsay asked, clueless.

I could feel Eli, Beth, Lindsay, and Tyler staring, could feel my fury rising. Ryan always had a huge sweet side and severe temper. It's like he's two kinds of extremes and it's the negatives I don't like. As he stood there, glaring at me, I was surprised as my mind flashed through a bunch of the arguments I'd had with Alejandro. In a way, Alejandro was a bunch of extremes, like Ryan, but he wasn't as blatantly obnoxious.

Ryan grabbed my wrist and dragged me down the hall. As he pulled me, I could hear his words echoing, followed by some of the remarks Alejandro had made when I argued with him. Ryan and I ended up in the janitor's closet. My heart was rattling in my rib cage like a trapped bird and I was burning with anger, fury, hatred. I was angry at Ryan for being such a jackass, at Jose for being an even bigger jackass, at Kate for spilling the news about Jose, at everybody...

"Alejandro has so much drama," Ryan said, his voice dripping with acid. "He needs to work out his problems with his asshole older brother. He's an asshole for getting you involved at all, Heather. If he really cared about you, he'd be here right now. No matter what the consequences."

I glared at Ryan. "You don't know Alejandro! He cares about me more than you ever did! You only want to have sex with me and that's-"

"That's not true," Ryan said, releasing a long breath. "I didn't wait for you to do it with somebody. I had sex the night I got home after you first turned me down. I realized it's not all that. Heather, for real here, I'm still in love with you. I love you so much it hurts and I just can't stand the sight of you and Alejandro together. I don't want you just for _that_, Heather..."

He looked at me with a mute desperation in his eyes.

"I can do it with any girl I wanted and you could do it with any guy," he continued. "It's just...when we were together, we had something electric. Something special. Oh God, I was so stupid to force sex on you freshman year. I was so stupid all around. Heather, you gotta understand. You're 'the one' for me and I...I've never stopped thinking about you. Never stopped wanting you. I've been trying to get here sooner..."

He trailed off and looked at me with a serious look on his face. For a second, I felt like I was in seventh grade again, standing in the living room of Ryan's house. He was standing only inches away from me now, leaning in close to my ear. There were electric sparks on the air when I felt his hot breath rolling past my ear, down my neck.

"I love you, Heather," he whispered.

Then he turned my head towards his and he started kissing me. It was as passionate as I remembered his lips moist. He didn't smell like hamburgers today...he smelled like lilacs. The smell drifted into my nose, taking me back to that memory and I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck, running my hands through his hair. It was silky and soft. Then he pulled me closer and it felt like I was melting into him.

His tongue poked into my mouth. It swiveled around and I could feel my nerves prickling, feel the huge electric pop and the fireworks show. When he pulled away, I was breathing hard, caught in the tsunami of Ryan's repressed passion and echoes of how I used to feel about him roiling through me. Looking at him, I could feel my heart beat harder, faster. All of me wanted to lunge at him and kiss more. More, more, more.

He didn't say anything. All he did was lift his hand, splay his fingers, reached out towards me-

I turned, opened the door to the closet and fled down the hallway. I ran and ran until I ended up at the principal's office. On autopilot, I found myself feigning sickness, signing out, and then leaving the school. The entire time, the image of Ryan's face filled my brain and attacked it.

I reached my car, pulled open the door and then sat there, staring at the steering wheel.

Everything was silent, way too silent. My stomach was churning like a bunch of wild ocean waves and I could feel a dry heave coming up. The overwhelming odor of lilacs still burned my nose and I felt like screaming at the heavens. Casting a nervous glance over my shoulder, I saw a figure running towards the doors. _Ryan. _

In earnest, I started up the car and pulled away. I wasn't heading home. I didn't know where I was going and I just didn't care.

All I know is that..._I think I'm still in love with Ryan..._


	8. Chapter 8

{8}

-Heather-

_I could feel his arms around me, holding me close. Behind him, his older brother Carlos was asleep in his bedroom. My heart was exploding and ripping apart in my chest. With all of the strength in me, I wrenched myself away from him, looked up into his confused, alarmed face. He blinked several times and reached out towards me, but his hand was like a disease that I just couldn't help cringing away from. And the more he tried to reach out to me, the more I found myself pulling away. _

"_Heather...?" He lowered his arm and furrowed his brows. _

_I just shook my head, feeling a huge lump forming in my throat. Ryan's head kept flaring in my mind's eye like a lightning bolt. Shaking my head I backed away from Al, towards the stairs and then fled down them, taking two at a time. Miserable, I could feel his eyes boring into me and then I just ran out the front door. There was a light drizzle outside. _

_Part of me could sense Al hammering down the stairs after me, rushing towards the door. _

_Feeling a huge urgency flooding my veins, I ran towards my car and heard my car keys clatter out of my pocket, hitting the ground near my feet. For a brief second I stopped, stooped to pick them up, but then I saw Al out of the corner of my eye. Oh, God..._

_He was leaning out the door, looking at me as if I were insane. _

_He's probably right in thinking that. Because I took off running, at the fastest pace I'd ever run, the pace I used when I was pounding the pavement in a fervor to win at a track meet. As my breath started to come in short, galloping pants, I imagined that I was racing down a long lane, my eyes painting an imaginary white line next to where I ran. Somehow, I knew that Al was right behind me and that he was catching up. Fast. _

_My insides burned and I tried to run faster, but I knew I couldn't. It was like those few, miserable times I'd actually lost a track race to somebody else and felt like a loser. My overly competitive side combined with my instincts made me want to dominate, want to win this bizarre race I'd started. Just as I felt my lungs searing for air, a hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me back and pulling me. _

_Trapped, I turned and looked up at Alejandro. _

"_What the hell?" he demanded. _

_I don't know why I came to Carlos' house looking for Alejandro; I just did. Tears were pricking the backs of my eyes and every time my heart beat, it felt like a needle prick in my chest. _

_No words would come out. I didn't know what to say here. _

"_What the hell?" he said again, pulling me closer and gripping my shoulders. His touch used to make me feel electric, but now that I looked up at his face, I wasn't feeling blind love..._

_I was seeing all of his annoying tics and flaws: He had a temper and liked to argue; he had a condescending attitude that he didn't try to suppress around me sometimes; he was a mama's boy. Sometimes he was way too clingy, wanting to be romantic when I didn't feel like it...People have told me that we're so alike it's scary. Looking at him now I realize the truth: he's all of my worst traits times ten with a pretty face slapped on. _

_Why did I fall in love with him? If there was a case with a million dollars in it dangling between us, I could practically see the flaming, crackling lies in his eyes, how he'd pull me along with false, sweet words and then eventually stab me in the back. _

_We were silent for several minutes and I could feel it like a lead weight pressing down on us. _

_The more I looked at him, I could feel my anger burbling, burning. That class president election...why did I throw it for him? I could see how he'd react to what would happen if I told him I'd cheated on him with Ryan. In vivid detail. No more arguments. No more anger. No more Alejandro drama. That whole scenario with Jose was probably a huge hoax. _

_Kate was probably lying; I see the way she looks at Alejandro. She can have him. _

"_**I'm breaking up with you!**" I blurted, pulling away from him._

My eyes opened and I was staring blankly at one of the walls.

I could feel the silk sheet pressing against me, hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room. Outside there's a quarter moon and a bunch of clouds. It was a dreary March night, Spring Break. It's been an entire month now.

The digital clock on the end table next to the bed said: 12:03.

The blinking red digits made my stomach flop over. Suddenly, I was extremely aware of Ryan's arms wrapped around me. We were so close together I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck like waves on an ocean. The smell of hamburgers mixed with lilac drifted on the air like a long lost dream and I could feel myself sailing away...

Carefully, I pulled myself away from Ryan and crawled out from under the sheets. Then I wandered out into the hallway. I'd been over to Ryan's house so many times now I was familiar with it's layout. For a second I paused just outside the bedroom that was supposed to be Elaine's. She'd run away an entire month ago and now it was empty, the bed and all of her other things getting buried under dust.

For some reason I found myself in the living room. As usual, Ryan's dad was sleeping on the couch, a bunch of crumpled up beer cans on the floor around him. He'd quit his job as principal and, almost immediately after, his bitch girlfriend Blainely had been promoted to the position. The school was a nightmare with her in charge and every time I saw her, she had huge purple bags under her eyes. Her son Eli, Beth's boyfriend, looked no better. He and Beth were on the verge of breaking up.

Hell, Eli doesn't even go to school anymore. He's holed up in his bedroom playing mindless video games all day now. He looks like crap, smells like dirty underwear, and only shuffles out of his room at meal time. And Blainely's so shaken up, she doesn't give a damn.

I hate coming over to Ryan's house. It's a constant atmosphere of gloom and doom. Chris, Blainely, and Eli are all depressed, but Chris is depressed for a reason entirely different than Blainely and Eli.

Without hesitation, I grab my car keys off of the coffee table and then walk out the front door. Fifteen minutes later, I'm in my car, driving down the highway back to my own house. The streets are practically deserted except for a few other cars here and there. When I get home, my mind's still spinning and all I feel is numb. Just numb. My insides feel so hollow and all I want to do is sleep. Pull the covers up over my head and sleep until all of this crap disappears.

As if I haven't had enough, a silhouetted figure stands up on my porch.

It's Kate the bitch, recognizable from a mile away. Over one month, she's changed from a computer geek to a fashionista, her hair always in the latest style and her clothes always designer labels anymore. With looks like that I'm not surprised she was able to trick my parents into thinking she was one of my "friends."

She walks towards me, almost my height in her cherry red high-heels. Nervously, she shifted the purse on her shoulder and looked up at me; I just shot a venom glare back at her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, not wanting pointless small talk.

Kate frowns and sighs. "I'm sorry to bug you, Heather, but-"

"It's about Alejandro again isn't it?" I prod her.

I hate Kate with all of my being. She thinks she's so hot, playing Courtney's best friend and being part of the popular crowd. Every time she sees me, she makes a point of making a beeline towards me and pestering me about Alejandro. I've seen her hanging on his arm, talking to him.

Seeing those two together makes me sick. And all she wants to do is rub it in my face.

"Heather!" she complained, looking at me. "It's been an entire month now. I've seen him when he's not in public. He's absolutely miserable without you and he can't find anyone else-"

I hold up a hand. "He's dating _you_, isn't he?"

She shakes her head and looks at me, the guilt in her face obvious. "I'm going out with Cody." Her tone falters a little when she says it.

"What about Sierra?"

She frowns and I can tell that she's lying now. "She hates my guts, of course, but Cody's the sweetest guy in the world. Man...if I wasn't in love with Cody, too, I'd never have let Sierra do the whole 'tide is high' thing..."

"What are you doing with Alejandro, then?" I can hear the venom in my voice. Her story sounds sweet and convincing, but I don't believe it for one freaking minute.

"I say 'hi' to him, that's all." Her shoulders slump. "Heather...did you forget about _Jose_? He's still out there somewhere while you and Al are having a stupid fight. Seriously! Stop being so f**cking stupid! Even Lindsay and Beth agree with me! You two were so much happier together than you're apart...Hell, you were just letting jealousy get to you. If I _was _with Al, why the hell should you even care?"

I stared at Kate, at the steely expression on her face. The glare. Then I stomped up and slapped her across the face, swelling myself swell with satisfaction at the sight of the red hand print on her cheek. She looks at me incredulously and I can see her hands shaking.

She's not going to fight me. She's too scared of breaking one of her French tipped-

I'm seeing stars, whirling around like helicopters and then, as I'm coming to, we're nose to nose, my T-shirt balled up in her fingers. The glare I'm wearing is mirrored on her face. It's just like Al's glare, her eyes ignited with that same brutal, angry fire.

...And I'm not intimidated. I'm just wondering when this timid little bitch became so icy.

"I don't want to fight you, Heather," she said in a level voice.

Just the tone of her voice, it's enough to remind me of Alejandro. It hits me like a jolt and I feel myself uncoil like a spring, ripping away from her. Ferociously, I tackle her to the ground and start pummeling her with a volley of fists. She starts screaming and flailing, fighting back as her eyes narrow and blood rushes to her face, turning it a deep crimson.

She gets a few punches in and they hurt, but I just ignore the pain. Angrily, I reach towards her long hair and start tugging at it, pulling it. My body's coursing with anger, jealousy and it fills me like energy from a Red Bull. She was lying when she said she'd never been involved with Al. I remember seeing them in the janitor's closet through the ajar door. He was making out with her, running his hands through her hair and moaning.

Kate screams and shrieks as I pull a huge hank of her shiny brown hair out.

Alejandro was pulling his truck up to the school and Kate got out on the passenger's side. They walked around to the front of the truck and she leaped up at him, pulling him in and kissing him. Her cheeks puffed out and I could tell he was pulling his trademark "French kiss" on her. Standing near the front school doors, I could feel my anger flaring as a flood of memories crushed me like a wave. They kissed for a long minute before he turned and walked briskly away.

Much to my dismay, I could feel myself pumping with jealousy. Kate was still near his truck, grinning like an idiot with a fierce red blush on her face. Before I ended up running into her, I turned and rushed into the school...

….straight into Alejandro.

He just glared at me and raised an eyebrow. "Heather," he said in a cryptic tone.

"Alejandro."

It was like we were both strangers, a huge empty chasm opening between us. Part of me remembered what it was like to be in his embrace and that part wanted to hug him and kiss him. But then I snapped back to reality: he'd just been macking with Kate Hernandez.

"You moved on quickly," I said, throwing ice into my voice.

"As did you," he replied just as icily. "You chose Ryan over me."

His words felt like stones dropping in my chest. It'd only been a week since the break-up and I'd been dodging Ryan, still trying to figure out my feelings. Right now I knew I hated Alejandro. He was playing games with me; he didn't give a damn about Kate. He was just playing the jealousy game and so far...he was _winning_.

"So that's how you wanna play?"

"I'm not playing a game," he replied, his nostrils flaring with his anger.

"I bet you'll be crawling up to me on your knees and begging me to take you back in under a week." The words just flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. He was making me so mad; I could feel my heart slamming against my rib cage, feel my blood boiling.

Suddenly, he stepped towards me, placed his hand under my chin and our faces were so close. My hormones were battling with my hatred, my desire to punch him facing off with my desire to kiss him. His finger tips felt like lightly brushing butterfly wings, setting my nerves on fire and just making things that much more painful and intense.

"I take that bet," he said coldly. "It is you who will lose."

"We'll see about that..." I replied.

He pulled his hand away and I was surprised by how hard I had to fight the desire to grab it again. Bitter resentment and a desire to win flushed through my veins as I watched him walk away.

The week that followed was torture for me. Kate followed him around like a lovesick puppy; I even heard her talking animatedly with him about the two of them participating in a...tango contest together. Suddenly, the tender and closeness in my memories of dancing with Al, how emotional they were, it crumbled before me and splintered like broken glass.

When he wasn't with Kate, he was shamelessly flirting with LaShawna, Bridgette, and even Katie and Sadie. And he made sure it all deliberately took place wherever I was. And he always made sure to shoot some kind of triumphant or smug look over at me. By Tuesday, I'd had enough.

I made a point of seeking out Duncan at his locker. As he was trying to get into it, I slipped in-between him and the lockers, making sure our faces were a very short distance apart.

"Hey Duncan," I said, pressing the tip of my nose against his.

He smirked back at me. "Hey hottie."

He picked up the hint right away. Next thing I knew, we were locked in the janitor's closet for an entire hour, missing first period while we made out. He was ferocious and wild, pulling me all over the room. We even ended knocking a few things off of shelves onto the floor, making the metal shelves in there rock and totter precariously several times. When we left the closet, I could see why Courtney and Gwen had been so thrilled with this bad boy. He smirked at me as he ran a hand through his messed up mohawk.

"Let's definitely do that again some time," he said, clicking his tongue and winking at me.

I even got Justin to pretend to flirt with me, reluctantly, to get back at Al. In the end, I flirted with as many guys as he was flirting with girls. By Thursday, I decided to just go out with Ryan. He was so elated that he started showering me with gifts, taking me out on dates. Every time I was around Alejandro, I made a big display out of being with Ryan. Soon enough, I found myself becoming part of Ryan's world, seeing a side of the principal and vice-principal I _never _wanted to see.

The weeks dragged in to two weeks. I ended up just giving Al the cold shoulder, trying desperately to forget him, but he was persistent. Every time I was at my locker, he was there with a giggling girl. He carried books for an airhead redhead for a week. The next week he was cavorting with a busty blond. A few times I saw him flirting with the German foreign exchange student, what's-her-name...

It drove me crazy. My only solace was Ryan. In a way, I really was in love with him again. Part of me felt guilty to be going out with him solely for the purpose of getting back at Alejandro, but when he kissed me, I just kissed him back and pushed that thought out of my mind. I even spent Valentine's Day with him, but every time I cuddled up to him or kiss him, all I could think about was Alejandro.

The jealousy was devouring me whole. All I wanted was to cave in to Al, drop Ryan, and end up back in his arms. But I refused to cave. Both of us were being relentless, competitive. Every time I looked at him and when he looked at me, it was full of bitter, utter hatred. Malice. We were in an all-out war and neither one was going to let up.

In-between all of it, I watched as Kate started trading out jeans for skirts and T-shirts for tube tops. She started hanging out with Courtney, sitting at the popular table, leaving her friends in the dust. Of all the girls Al had been with, she was the one that popped up the most. Even though Elaine was gone, Kate quickly took her place. Normally, I wouldn't pay her any mind, but she was with Alejandro...That was practically a red bulls-eye painted on her ass.

Several times, she came up to me, pretending to be a semblance of her former self and telling me about Alejandro...

Kate kicks me and the little weasel manages to crawl out from underneath me. She glares at me, pulling at her hair and trying to regain her composure. Coolly, I return her stare and fold my arms, leering as she walks over to me, kicking off her shoes.

"I don't want to fight," she said, her tone pleading.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you," I replied, wanting to kick her and punch her until she was weeping like a baby.

"I know I've been an asshole!" Kate cried. Her glare dissolves into a frown and I watch as she collapses to her knees. Tears are falling down her face and she keeps calling herself an asshole. I agree with it, and I don't feel any sympathy for her at all. I plan on just stomping back into my house and up to my bedroom, but for some reason, I end up staying here. Planted to the spot.

When Kate's done, she scrubs furiously at her face and looks at me, her eyes ringed by mascara smears.

"My life's a living hell!" Kate cried. "The love of my life cheated on me and he'll never love me...So I left him in the dust! All men can just suck it! And I've always f**cking hated you...you and Alejandro. He may be a good kisser, but he's a f**cking asshole. I thought he was better than Jose...but he sucks!"

Kate howled and babbled incoherently for another long minute.

Then she turned and looked at me, her lips trembling. I still felt nothing and I was getting ready to just kick the bitch off of my property. I'm not your freaking therapist; I hate your guts. You hate mine. We're on the same page. Now go away.

"I came here to tell you that you shouldn't let your guard down with Jose...He's been missing for an entire month, but I'm sure he's still out there..."

I rolled my eyes; I'd had enough. "Go home. Go away."

"Heather...I'm sorry..." She looked at me with big, glassy eyes.

"No, you're not," I replied. "You've been doing my ex-boyfriend when you know I'm still not-" I stopped myself before I could say the last part and she just looked at me.

"We haven't done that," she said in a strangely sincere tone. "The truth is...he could care less about me, Heather. He's still in love with you. Madly. The other night I heard him singing the most beautiful song in the world..." A small smile crept onto her face. "I know it was meant for you. It may not seem like it, but he's depressed."

For some reason I knew she was telling the truth. She turned and started walking away, barefoot. And I watched her the entire time she shuffled down the sidewalk, her shoulders slumped.

What I couldn't understand was how she could be a harmless, nameless nerd one minute and then a month later...she was practically as vicious as Elaine.

I remember seeing Al sleeping on the day of the break-up. And when he'd woken up, he looked at me with shining eyes and smiled, such a sweet and heart-melting smile. Just seeing that mental image made my heart lurch and when I reached up to touch my cheek, I could feel a single tear there.

"_Mi ángel," he'd whispered in a soft voice, full of longing and affection and love..._

"_Mi_ _ángel_," I whispered back, letting my tears fall.

(Author's Note: I'm sorry this is so late...Thing is, some stuff popped up and then I procrastinated and...stuff. I'll try to compensate for this by getting up another chapter this week, too. So be expecting chap. no. 9 in a couple of days.)


	9. Chapter 9

{9}

The light shining into his face was so harsh and bright, Jose turned his face away. Spots danced and swam in his vision, making his empty stomach churn with nausea. His wrists were bound tightly behind him and were chafing; his ankles were also tied to the chair he was sitting in with an extremely tough material. If he tried to struggle out of his bonds, needles of pain pricked his ankles and wrists.

A tall silhouette stood in the shadows and body guards in expensive Armani suits stood in what little visible light there was. Both of them were frowning and one of them, a guy in his twenties with a blond flat top, was smoking a cigarette. A cloud of gray smoke swirled around his head like a halo as he scowled and glared at Jose. Jose stared right back into his steel gray eyes and returned his gaze, trying to exhibit more bravery than he actually felt.

Suddenly, the silhouette stepped forward into just enough light to expose her long, shapely legs. She was wearing black high-heels with matching pantyhose. The rest of her was still hidden in the deep, dark shadows of the room.

"Hello Jose..." she purred in her Midwestern accent.

Jose recognized the woman immediately and scowled. Of course, of all the people in the world, she was the one person that could persuade Elaine to join exclusively on her side; one of Elaine's biggest weaknesses was her huge desire for power.

"I see you're happy to see me," she continued, chuckling under her breath.

Biting his lip, Jose just looked in her direction, just searching in the darkness, trying to see her face. He couldn't see it, but he could see her ruby red lips curling into a smile in her mind's eye.

The casual, playful tone in her voice subsided immediately.

Next thing Jose knew, a pistol was pressed to his neck, just below his chin. As if that weren't enough, the two bodyguard goons drew their own pistols and targeted both of them at his forehead.

"If you want to keep your life, you'll tell me where to find Alejandro," she growled. "I've been more merciful than I should be, Jose. But each time I ask, you keep refusing to _tell me_."

She hissed through her teeth. Sweat broke out on Jose's forehead and his heart was bouncing all around inside his chest. He could feel his desperation climbing, could feel his instincts screaming at him to run. His throat felt like rough, dry sandpaper.

He closed his eyes and tried to accept the inevitability of dying.

Behind his closed eyelids he saw Alejandro, smiling and hugging his raven haired girlfriend Heather. For the first time in his life, Jose didn't feel intense hatred and jealousy towards Alejandro. Yeah, Al the little shit might have contributed to ruining him and a part of the drug lord he worked for's plans, but there was no way he wanted to see him die...

Clinging to the image, Jose held his breath and waited for the drug lord to lose her patience.

Terror washed over him and he'd never felt so pushed down by gravity before. Completely losing his self-control and composure, he felt the tears falling out of his eyes, felt the gun prodding into his neck. It felt like he was looking down at himself from a third person perspective...he could see her manicured finger pulling slowly on the gun's trigger...

"_Lo siento...Alejandro...I love you..._" he whispered so softly even he could barely hear it.

A long second passed and then there was the loud _crack_ of a gun shot.

Another second passed...then another...

Confused, Jose's eyes snapped open and he blinked several times. The bonds around his wrist and ankles were being sliced through and he could hear gun shots, yelling. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the backs of the two bodyguards in suits, could hear the receding click of the drug lord's heels. His attention was brought back to a smiling face with blue eyes, an eyebrow piercing, and a green mohawk.

"Hey! Enemy of my enemy's my friend?" he said with a smirk as Jose felt the bonds fall away.

"F**ck yeah!" Jose cheered, leaping to his feet.

The green mohawk kid led him across the warehouse where he'd been held captive. As they ran, another figure caught up with them, her wavy and curly hair bouncing around her face like a halo. She looked up at him and Jose smiled back at her. Good old Mercedes; she was the one Burromuerto who could and would save his ass if he needed it.

The three of them exited the warehouse and the bright sunlight was a huge change from a month of being kept in an abandoned prison cell and being tied to a chair. The light stung and Jose was covering his eyes with his arm, desperately trying to block it out. He was utterly relieved when Mercedes slipped a pair of sunglasses onto his face. Then she grabbed him by the sleeve of his tattered jacket and dragged him towards a motorcycle.

The green haired kid was already gunning it and she pushed him towards it.

"Can't I drive?" he complained and she rolled her eyes.

"Just go!" she barked, pulling a gun out of a holster on her waist. "Also, his name's Duncan. No stupid nick names or you'll find yourself in a pretzel knot or a bullet in your forehead!"

Fueled by adrenaline, but too swept up in the action to argue, Jose climbed onto the motorcycle behind Duncan and hung on. Duncan was silent as they roared off into the rushing wind, wheeling through the streets of Cress. As the town swept by in a giant blur, Jose felt slightly relieved, but weary at the same time. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off and now that he was kind of free, all Jose wanted was a nice, warm bed and to sleep. He'd worry about the next details when he woke up again.

Duncan stopped the motorcycle at Carlos' house and Jose felt a strange pang of guilt as he climbed off of the bike and walked up to the house. His legs felt like rubber and he wasn't sure how his older brother was going to react. And things would be ten times worse if he encountered Al, too...

Before he made another move, he turned and looked at Duncan.

"Thanks," he muttered, biting back his trash talk.

Duncan just inclined his head. "No prob. But just so you know, I _did not _enjoy driving you here."

"I would've preferred riding with a hot babe with a big butt and double Ds," Jose replied.

Duncan smirked. "So we're on the same page?"

"I'm not telling anybody. And you better not either...dickhead."

"I won't if you don't asshole!" Duncan said, smiling a little.

Jose couldn't help smiling back. "F**ck you!"

"Right back at you!" Duncan said before taking off again and driving away down the driveway.

Once he was gone, Jose jogged towards the front door and knocked. It was Carlos' wife Carmen who answered. Her hair was a bird's nest and she was in pink flannel PJ's. She looked at him for a long minute and then stepped aside, letting him in. As soon as he was inside, Jose made a beeline towards the upstairs, hoping one of the upstairs rooms would be empty.

On his way, he saw one of the doors slightly ajar and he heard loud moaning behind it.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Jose just walked right in...

...and found himself interrupting an intense make-out session Al was having with..._Kate? _

-Alejandro-

Kate sat on the edge of her bed, fingering the hank of hair that Heather had pulled out. It seemed so unbelievable that I was "going out" with my brother's wife's younger sister, but every time I looked at her...I felt nothing. She knew I was only doing it to make Heather jealous, but she was trying so hard to make me fall in love with her. Miserable, she looked up at me with the same brown eyes that Carmen used to mesmerize Carlos. She might be attractive, but...she's not _mi_ _ángel_...

It felt so wrong sitting down next to her, when she wrapped her arms around me. The tips of our noses were pressing and I could feel a wave crashing through me wishing she were Heather instead of who she was.

"Heather's done it with Ryan by now," Kate says bitterly, looking at me. "_Do it._"

She reaches up and pulls at the buttons of my shirt. I let her pull it off and it feels like I'm dreaming as she lies down and pulls me down with her. She wraps her long legs around me and places her hand on my cheek. I feel nothing.

"_Alejandro..._" she says in a voice with an emotion I can't determine. "Get your revenge. Claim it! Claim it _now_!"

She pulls my head towards her and whatever reply I was thinking of is drowned out by her lips pressing against mine. Her kisses are light and haphazard, no feeling in them, but we're kissing anyway. We keep kissing, but everything feels so weird. Feebly, I close my eyes and force myself to imagine that I'm kissing Heather. Like magic, I feel our kisses getting hotter, feel everything launching into routine.

An entire minute passes and I keep my eyes closed-

"_Holy f**king shit!" _

I'd recognize that voice anywhere. Immediately, I pull away from Kate and leap to my feet, whirling around to find Jose standing in the doorway. Jose looks absolutely dumbstruck, his jaw hanging open and his eyes the size of bowling balls. Just seeing him is enough to make me forget everything else and fill me with absolute rage. I thought he was gone. Gone for good.

"What're you doing with her?" Jose cries, gesturing at Kate.

Kate steps around me, her fists clenched. "Get out, bastard!"

"No f**king way, bitch!" Jose screams at her, stepping forward. "What...what happened to your real _novia_, you little-"

"He's mine now," Kate growls in a low voice, grabbing Jose by the collar of his shirt and glaring into his face. "We both hate your guts, you stinking low-life bastard. You're not welcome here. Go back to the craphole you came from!"

"When did you grow a set of balls?" he asks, his eyes fierce.

"I'm not the one with balls here!"

Shamelessly, she knees him in the crotch and his face squeezes into a sower-lemon pucker. I'm not sure what to think as Jose collapses to the floor, clutching at his crotch with tears streaming down his face. Kate leans down to face him and starts yelling a slew of fierce profanity into his face and, somehow, she grabs one of her high heeled shoes and starts beating at his leg. Jose groans and after an entire minute of being a mindless bystander, I find myself reaching out and yanking her back.

"What the-?" She just stares at me.

"Leave him alone," I command her in a steel tone of voice.

I want to pound him myself, but he's so bruised and battered already. Feeling a sense of chivalry I never knew I had, I lean down and help Jose struggle to his feet. He leans against me all the way to the spare bedroom at the end of the hall and as soon as he's close to the bed, he collapses onto it.

As his face sinks into the pillow, he looks so vulnerable and weak. Two things I've never seen in the one person I hate more than anything in the world.

Everything feels absolutely surreal when Jose looks up at me with a serious look on his face completely devoid of malice.

"What are you doing with Kate?" he demands unexpectedly. "She's so fugly, Alejandro. Heather looks like a f**king supermodel. What the hell were you thinking?"

I turn to leave the room. This is just getting too bizarre for me...

"Alejandro!" Jose screams, making me turn back around to look at him.

He locks his gaze with mine and for a second, it feels like the connection I share with Carlos. That brotherly bond...

"Don't be an idiot. If you lose Heather...you're the world's biggest f**king idiot."

He shoots daggers at me before he slumps back and promptly falls asleep.

As I walk out of the room, I can't help feeling unnerved. Jose actually caring about the health and happiness of another human being? Other than his secret girlfriend Elaine, I haven't seen anyone else. Of all the people to give me relationship advice, he's the last person I'd be taking it, or expecting it, from. My heart's burning and my brain's full of fog.

I need to get out of here.

I march past Kate's room and she runs out, looking at me. As I walk down the stairs, I can feel her eyes burning into my back. Once I reach the door, she lightly touches my wrist and then slaps my shirt into my hand. Then she turns and silently runs back up the stairs. I pull my shirt on over my head and start buttoning it as I walk over towards my rustbucket truck.

As I drive, the route is as familiar to me as the back of my hand. For some reason, I feel a sense of purpose, feel my heart rapidly picking up its pace in my chest. This past month has been so stupid and pointless. All that jealousy. It's like Ryan was fate's attempt at tossing a monkey wrench between Heather and I, but I can't let this spat between us last forever. I'm being drawn to her right now like a magnet. And for some reason, I know that she'll be waiting for me.

Some part of me lights up as I park and lock my truck two blocks away from her mansion.

The rest feels like clockwork as I run towards her mansion. Both of her parents' cars are gone. Ryan isn't there. The yard is empty and next thing I know, I'm climbing the trellis propped up against the side of the mansion. So many memories sizzle through me and, like a naive child, I feel my hope growing the higher I climb up. It feels stupid of me to think that as soon as I get to the window and see Heather, things will return back to the blissful, beautiful atmosphere it was a month ago...but my heart's aching so much I can't help it.

It feels like I'm going to snap in two when I reach out and knock on her window. I'm holding my breath when she pushes the curtains back and appears. There's a look of absolute surprise on her face as she opens the window.

That's when I realize how chilly it is outside. The curtains on either side of Heather's window are flapping like the outstretched wings of a pair of birds. She leans towards me and frowns, our gazes locking for a long, tortured moment. The moment breaks when she reaches to pull the window shut again. Anxiety rises in me, but then it subsides again when she pulls her hand away from the window.

She rests her arm on the window sill and scrutinizes me. "What are _you _doing here?"

I look at her and try to look confident. "I want to talk to you."

"Well I_ don't_ want to talk to _you_," she says, her tone full of venom.

Just as she reaches for the window again, I feel myself snap. I reach out from my precarious perch and grasp her wrist, squeeze it. Incredulous, she looks up at me and I look back at her, feeling myself want to cry. Despite her angry tone, I can see her eyes shining with tears, too.

"I can't take this anymore," I whisper to her severely, refusing to let go of her wrist. "I don't want anyone else. I want _you_. Don't you get it? Why did you trade me in for Ryan...?"

She looks up at me, lips trembling and then she looks away.

"I thought I was still in love with Ryan...I...I..." She shakes her head. "I don't know! He's always had a way of getting to me. No matter what he's done...I remember the sweet guy who romanced me in seventh grade...the guy I looked up to, ended up falling in love with. He was my _first true love_, Alejandro. I don't think anybody ever gets over that..."

She looks up at me again and doesn't look away.

"I know I was stupid. And I know I'm not in love with Ryan. And I'm so sick of everything. Everyone's so freaking depressed...I haven't forgotten about Jose, either..."

She gently pulls her wrist out of my hand and then I crawl into her bedroom through the window. The first thing I notice is that she has a framed photo of us together at prom last year. She looks so beautiful in that picture, smiling and then seeing us. Together. It feels like it was a million years ago. When I turn back to look at her, she's crying and shaking her head. Part of me wants to sweep her into my arms and stroke her hair while the other half wants to scream at her.

As we stand there, silently staring at each other, I realize how much of a mountain climb our relationship is. Heather can be so bossy, so mean, so cruel, an egomaniac...Right now it's so easy to see those faults, but then I remember when I was giving her tango lessons. How she slowly opened up to me like a beautifully blossoming rose. There were so many more good things than bad things, so much about her that I wanted to love and adore. In a way, I hated her now as much as I loved her. The conflicting emotions made it impossible to know what to do here.

Similar thoughts must have been running through her head. She turns to look at me, trembling a little bit.

"Should we really be together...?" she asks. It's the question running through both our minds.

I react before I think it through. That magnet attraction makes me go to her and pull her into an embrace. Then I lean in and kiss her, softly, lightly, pulling away before it can become too intense and passionate. Things are already confusing enough right now.

She looks up at me and digs her fingers into the material of my shirt. As we look at each other, the answer to the question is crystal clear. We keep looking at each other and it just keeps getting brighter, sharper. It's such a bright point in my mind, it's a star. Despite the shortcomings, the faults, our arguments, and fights...

I've known it from the start. Ever since I first fell in love with her.

"I love you. I always have," we both say at the same time.

It feels like the cheesy, happy ending to a movie, but it doesn't stop there. Heather grabs my arm and pulls me over to her bed. She unbuttons my shirt and then we're lying side by side. Things dissolve and become a blur as she tosses my shirt to the floor next to her bed and then we start kissing.

It's really late at night with the moon shining in through the window. Everything's a subdued hue of blue and I'm having trouble getting to sleep. I'm lying in bed with the love of my life, holding her in my arms with her hair falling onto my arm like a waterfall. Gently, I run my fingers through it, sighing deeply as I listen to my heart beat softly in my chest like a drum. Everything feels as peaceful as the recorded rain fall sound on a tape of sounds from the Amazon rain forest.

Affectionately, I lean towards Heather's ear and whisper affectionately to her in Spanish. Even though it's dark, I can sense the wonderful and beautiful smile unfolding on her face like a pair of butterfly wings.

"This is how we should've spent Valentine's Day..." Heather murmurs.

"I know," I say back, snuggling closer to her. "I wanted to..."

"Better late than never," Heather replies. "Maybe...we should run away together?"

"I did not know you were a secret romantic." I smirk a little.

"I'm not...Okay, I read romance novels sometimes. When nobody's looking. It's one of my big secret obsessions...like glitter pens."

"Were you going to make me a Valentine's card with pink and red glitter?" I ask, smiling. Everything feels so blissful right now, I wish it could last forever.

"You wish." Her tone is playful and sarcastic.

There's silence for a minute and then I decide to say something I hope I don't regret admitting later. Right now, I feel so comfortable that I'd confess to my secret lifelong obsession with Star Wars; my favorite character has always been Darth Vader. Though, I have to give my logical side some kind of concession and that's to be careful with what secrets I reveal right now. Heather's not quite ready for the Star Wars secret.

"I've had a dream about us traveling to Barcelona," I tell her. "We get married and have our honeymoon there. I've always loved Spain. I lived there as a very little boy when my mother was still involved in her work as a diplomat, and I always loved it there. After Carlos returned from Spain, I felt such a huge wave of homesickness. Somewhere, deep in my heart, I've always felt that Barcelona is my true home. And, someday, it'd be even more wonderful to be living there with you..."

Heather rolls over and looks at me, smiling.

"So...you're a Spaniard?"

"I consider myself one, yes..."

"It'd be fun to go to Spain."

She leans in and kisses me, sending tingles rocketing down my spine. Then she places her head under my chin and stays there, wrapping her arms around my chest and showing me that she thinks of me as purely hers. I think of her as mine and express it by planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Do you think we will get married?" Heather asks.

The question is so unexpected, so out of the blue. It catches me off-guard, but I've thought about it so much I already know my own answer to that particular question:

"Yes."


End file.
